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The human gallbladder is a hollow grey-blue organ that sits in a shallow depression below the right lobe of the liver. [2] In adults, the gallbladder measures approximately 7 to 10 centimetres (2.8 to 3.9 inches) in length and 4 centimetres (1.6 in) in diameter when fully distended. [3]
The bile duct is some 6–8 cm long, and normally up to 8 mm in diameter. [4]Its proximal supraduodenal part is situated within the free edge of the lesser omentum.Its middle retroduodenal part is oriented inferiorly and right-ward, and is situated posterior to the first part of the duodenum, and anterior to the inferior vena cava.
The physician can confirm the diagnosis of cholelithiasis with an abdominal ultrasound that shows the ultrasonic shadows of the stones in the gallbladder. Although unusual, it is possible to have a common bile duct stone despite prior cholecystectomy.
Abdominal ultrasound can be used to diagnose abnormalities in various internal organs, such as the kidneys, [1] liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen and abdominal aorta.If Doppler ultrasonography is added, the blood flow inside blood vessels can be evaluated as well (for example, to look for renal artery stenosis).
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.
Failure of gallbladder visualisation during oral cholecystography when abnormal liver function returns to normal, or there is mild to moderate liver disease, maybe due to extrahepatic (outside the liver) causes. [4] Oral cholecystography can have better sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing acute and chronic gallbladder disease than ultrasound.
There are at least four types of cholangiography: [citation needed] Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC): Examination of liver and bile ducts by x-rays. This is accomplished by the insertion of a thin needle into the liver carrying a contrast medium to help to see blockage in liver and bile ducts.
The investigation is usually conducted after an ultrasonographic examination of the abdominal right upper quadrant for a patient presenting with abdominal pain.If the noninvasive ultrasound examination fails to demonstrate gallstones, or other obstruction to the gallbladder or biliary tree, in an attempt to establish a cause of right upper quadrant pain, a cholescintigraphic scan can be ...