Notes
Gallbladder Pathologies - Overview
Sections
Gallbladder Pathologies
Biliary Tree & Disorders
- To begin, we draw the biliary tree and indicate key landmarks and associated disorders.
- Liver: bile is created in the liver and travels to the gallbladder for storage. After eating, neurohormonal regulation triggers release of the bile into the duodenum, where it aids in digestion.
- Gallbladder
- Here we find cholelithiasis (gallstones) and cholecystitis, which is inflammation of the gallbladder.
- Then, show the biliary tree as follows:
- The right and left hepatic ducts join to form the common hepatic duct.
- The cystic duct drains the gallbladder and joins the common hepatic duct to become the common bile duct; this empties to the small intestine.
- Clinical conditions, which we'll discuss further in this tutorial:
- Infection of the biliary tree is called "cholangitis"
- Pain caused by stones lodging in the cystic duct is called "Biliary colic"
- When stones lodge in the common bile duct, they cause a condition called "choledocholithiasis"
- Gallbladder disorders are often asymptomatic, and are discovered incidentally, however, they may cause the following symptoms: upper right quadrant pain, nausea, and vomiting.