-
Gallstones (cholelithiasis or biliary calculi)
- hard, pebble-like deposits of bile salt that form inside the gallbladder
- sizes range rom grains of sand to golf ball sized
- affect ~1 million Americans yearly
- women are 2x more likely to be affected than men
- arise when either bile composition changes or gallbladder muscle contractility reduces
-
"F"s of gallstones
- female
- fat
- fertile
- forty years of age
- fair-skinned
- flatulent
-
Composition of gallstones
- cholesterol
- bilirubin
- calcium
-
Symptoms of gallstones
- no pain
- exruciating pain when in common bile duct (right, upper or middle upper quadrant, intermittent, sharp or dull and occurs within minutes of a meal)
- fever
- jaundice
-
Diagnosis of gallstones
- ultrasound or x-ray
- also how they are located
-
Treatments of gallstones
- pain management
- surgical removal of the gallbladder
- medications
- lithotripsy
-
Cholecystitis
- inflammation of the gallbladder that causes severe abdomial pain
- two types: acute (sudden in onset) and chronic
-
Chronic gallstones
- long-standing swelling, irritation and inflammation of the gallbladder
- usually caused by repeated acute cholecystitis attack
- causes gallbladder to lose its ability to concetrate bile
- thickens gallbladder wall, affecting contracile properties of gallbladder smooth muscle
-
Complications of chronic gallstones
- loss of blood flow
- infarction
- gangrene
- rupture
- peritonitis
- biliary fibrosis
-
Symptoms of gallstones
- pain radiating from right ribcage to right shoulder blade
- chills and fever
- nausea and vomiting
- belching
- indigestion
|
|
