Gallbladder Disease

Gallbladder disease refers to any condition that affects the health of your gallbladder, which is a small organ in your digestive system. The gallbladder stores bile in the liver and sends it to the small intestine to break down food through bile ducts. Gallbladder disease can occur when an infection or blockage occurs in the gallbladder or the bile ducts. This disease can affect other organs connected to the digestive system.

Gallbladder Diseases Include:

• Gallstones are the most common cause of gallbladder problems. They occur when lumps of bile continue to accumulate and block the flow of bile in the gallbladder or bile ducts.
• Cholecystitis is the most common symptom of gallbladder disease, and the inflammation can indicate an infection or blockage. It’s most often caused by gallstones blocking the flow of bile.
• Biliary dyskinesia is a problem with the gallbladder muscles and the nerve’s ability to move bile into the bile ducts. It causes bile to back up in your gallbladder, leading to chronic inflammation.
• Gangrene of the gallbladder is one of the more serious complications of chronic cholecystitis. Over time, swelling of the gallbladder can lead to the death of tissue, leaving the gallbladder at risk of tearing. This can put you at high risk for infection. 
• Gallbladder cancer is rare and often doesn’t appear until later stages. Cancer will be treated proactively or with surgical removal of the tumor or polyp.
• Cholangiopathy is a disease of the bile ducts caused by inflammation. Chronic cholangitis can result in scarring and narrowing of the bile ducts, which will cause bile to back up.

Symptoms and Diagnosis:

• Symptoms can include biliary colic, acute cholecystitis, persistent blockage, infection or tumor in the gallbladder, chronic cholecystitis or chronic mild symptoms, such as digestive difficulties or jaundice.
• Your health care provider will perform a physical examination to see if there is pain near the gallbladder, which may be a sign of infection. Additional blood and imaging tests may be required. These tests include a complete blood count, liver function tests, pancreas function tests, abdominal ultrasound, hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS).

Treatments:

Treatments for gallbladder disease may include antibiotics, endoscopic intervention or surgery.