Beyond Gallstones: 10 Conditions That Could Be Affecting Your Gallbladder

7. Choledocholithiasis

Choledocholithiasis is often considered a complication of gallstones. This is because this condition occurs when gallstones are lodged within one of the ducts in an individual’s bile system. In most cases, this is the common bile duct, common hepatic duct, or cystic duct. Research indicates that at least fifteen percent of individuals with gallstones experience this condition as well. Symptoms of choledocholithiasis include upper right abdominal pain, middle right abdominal pain, fever, appetite loss, nausea, clay-colored stool, and vomiting. The pain from this condition can be persistent or sporadic. It can also range from mild to severe. Severe pain can be mistaken for a heart attack or similar issue. It often requires emergency treatment. There are several treatments for this condition. The focus, of course, is to get rid of the stones blocking the bile ducts. Options include lithotripsy, stone extraction, and biliary stenting. Patients may need surgery to remove the stones and even the gallbladder itself. Another option is a sphincterotomy. This is surgery to cut into the common bile duct. The goal is to remove the stones or help them pass.

8. Acalculous Gallbladder Disease

Acalculous gallbladder disease involves gallbladder inflammation. However, this is gallbladder inflammation that appears without gallstones. Symptoms are similar to those that appear with acute cholecystitis when gallstones are present. For reference, they include severe upper right abdominal pain, nausea, jaundice, fever, and vomiting. Other warning signs are a distended gallbladder, belching, and food intolerance. There are many risk factors for acalculous gallbladder disease, such as abdominal surgery, acute hepatitis, gallbladder polyps, Wilson’s disease, as well as viral and bacterial infections. Treatment for this condition varies based on severity. Initially, patients must be stabilized in the hospital. Doctors must relieve the pressure on the patient’s gallbladder. In most cases, they will use a drainage tube to do this. Patients with bacterial infections will need antibiotics. Once patients are stable, they will often have gallbladder removal surgery.