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Gallstones can vary in size and shape from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. [39] The gallbladder may contain a single large stone or many smaller ones. Pseudoliths, sometimes referred to as sludge, are thick secretions that may be present within the gallbladder, either alone or in conjunction with fully formed gallstones.
Gallstones are thought to be linked to the formation of cancer. Other risk factors include large (>1 cm) gallbladder polyps and having a highly calcified "porcelain" gallbladder. [21] Cancer of the gallbladder can cause attacks of biliary pain, yellowing of the skin , and weight loss. A large gallbladder may be able to be felt in the abdomen.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population, about 25 million people, are affected by gallstones. Your Guide to Gallstones
Jaundice and/or clay-colored stool may raise suspicion of choledocholithiasis or even gallstone pancreatitis. [1] If the above symptoms coincide with fever and chills, the diagnosis of ascending cholangitis may also be considered. More than 70% of people with gallstones are asymptomatic and are diagnosed incidentally during ultrasound.
Gallstones may result from increased saturation of cholesterol or bilirubin, or from bile stasis. Lower concentrations of bile acids or phospholipids in bile reduce cholesterol solubility and lead to microcrystal formation. Oral therapy with chenodeoxycholic acid and/or ursodeoxycholic acid has been used to dissolve cholesterol gallstones.
The causes are uncertain, but there is a definite correlation with increasing age and the presence of gallstones (cholelithiasis). Most affected individuals do not have symptoms. The gallbladder polyps are detected during abdominal ultrasonography performed for other reasons. [citation needed]
Noting the increase in people under 50 being diagnosed with the disease, he urged others not to ignore symptoms and get screened. ... Burge was told that the cause was probably gallstones but that ...
Gallbladder diseases are diseases involving the gallbladder and is closely linked to biliary disease, with the most common cause being gallstones (cholelithiasis). [1] [2]The gallbladder is designed to aid in the digestion of fats by concentrating and storing the bile made in the liver and transferring it through the biliary tract to the digestive system through bile ducts that connect the ...