Gall bladder symptoms, Stones, Cancer and Surgery

What are Gall bladder symptoms for gall stones or cancer and when is gall bladder surgery required?

The gallbladder is a small organ attached to the liver which stores bile. Bile is produced by the liver and transported for storage in the gallbladder. Bile normally contains chemicals which help in the digestion of the food we eat. These chemicals contain special proteins called enzymes, which us digest fats, sugars and other proteins in our diet. The bile is collected from the liver in a complex network of tubes (called bile ducts) into the gallbladder where it is stored. The gallbladder tends to contract after we eat, especially after eating a heavy fatty meal. This contraction releases the bile products which flow into our small intestines to help digest our food.

Here are some of the typical symptoms of diseases of the gall bladder:

• pain the right upper quadrant of the abdomen
• Nausea and vomiting
• Right sided chest pain, especially with deep inspiration
• Fever and chills
• Shoulder pain and back pain

Diseases of the Gallbladder:

Gall stones

: Bile sitting in the gallbladder can develop into gall stones. The exact explanation for why this happens is not completely clear to the medical community. A lot of people have these stones in their gall bladder and these stones do not cause any symptoms. However, some patients will develop symptoms. The most common presentation is pain, typically located the right upper portion of the abdomen. Most patients describe gall stone pain as crampy abdominal pain especially after eat a fatty meal. Patients may develop less frequent symptoms if they try to stay away from fatty foods.

Cholecystitis

: This is simply an inflammation of the infected gallbladder. Most of these patients will have fever and chills and can really become very ill, if not treated fast. Many patients will need to be hospitalized for intravenous antibiotics. Some may need to have gall bladder surgery. If this condition is missed by the healthcare provider, or is not treated early, the gall bladder can become necrotic and burst open. This will release pus-like material into the abdominal cavity causing what is called peritonitis. A lot of these patients with peritonitis are very sick and many of them die, despite treatment with heavy-duty antibiotics. Surgery is usually required to drain and clean up the pus in the abdominal cavity.

Porcelain Gall bladder:

This entity describes a condition whereby the gallbladder is initially inflammed, then becomes hardened and looks like porcelain. It is thought to be due to calcification of the gall bladder. This is seen primarily in females in their 40-50 years of age, who are overweight. It may progress to become a cancer of the gall bladder. Symptoms include pain in the right side of the upper abdomen. This is not a very common condition, so it is usually found after a CT scan is done for abdominal pain.

Gall bladder cancer:

This is a relatively rare type of cancer which affects some older patients. Symptoms may be similar to gall stone pain, but some of these patients may also have weight loss, or no symptoms at all.

Have you had any of the above symptoms? Did you see a doctor? How were you treated?