Gallbladder Disease**** Flashcards
What makes up 80% of gallstones?
What else can the gallstones be made of? - 2
How often do they tend to become symptomatic?
What does the clinical presentation depend on?
Cholesterol
Bile pigments (from broken down Hb) or a mix (also containing calcium salts)
Once a yr
The location
Anatomical locations:
Cholelithiasis:
- Define?
- How can it typically present in terms of disease? - 3
- What is mirizzi’s syndrome?
Simply gallstones in the gallbladder
Acute cholecystitis
Chronic cholecystitis
Biliary colic
Stones in the gallbladder or cystic duct cause obstructive jaundice via extrinsic compression of the CBD - RARE
Anatomical locations:
Choledocholithiasis:
- Define?
- How can it typically present in terms of disease? - 3
Gallstone ileus:
- Define?
Gallstones in the CBD - d in duct and d in chole……
Obstructive jaundice
Acute cholangitis
Acute pancreatitis
Gallstones obstructing small bowel
Risk factors:
5F’s
FOOD mneumonic - define
Fat or rapid weight loss Female Forty (age) - due to premenopausal oestrogen increases risk Fair - white ethnicity Fertile - multiparity --- FH Oral contraception Older age DM
Biliary colic:
Define it
Why do you get pain?
Where is the obstruction?
Biliary obstruction without infection
Gallbladder contracts against the obstruction
Stone impaction in the gallbladder neck or cystic duct.
Biliary colic - S+S:
The pain - can be very severe:
- sites - 2
- time
- radiation
- what makes it worse
What other symptoms might you get? - 1
How long does it take for it to resolve?
What indicates there is not infection?
RUQ or epigastric pain (not colicky)
Continuous
Back (below the right scapula)
After a fatty meal
N&V - NO JAUNDICE
< 6 hrs
No fever, peritonism or raised WBC
Biliary colic - Investigations:
Initial imaging and one blood test?
When should an MRCP be considered? - 2
Why can you not use an AXR?
Abdo USS and LFT’s
Duct dilatation on USS and/or abnormal LFT’s
Most gallstones are radiolucent on XR unlike renal stones so you wouldn’t see them.
Biliary colic - Management:
What can be given for pain?
Any advice?
What surgery can be done?
Biliary colic - Management:
If they are CBD stones, how can they be removed? - 2
How should they be advised after surgery?
Analgesia - parenteral opioid or PR diclofenac
Triggering foods and drinks i.e. low fat diet
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
ERCP
Clearance during cholecystectomy
Consume normal diet including previous triggering foods
Acute cholecystitis:
What is it?
Where is the stone impacted? - 2
What may it initially look like?
What may it come after?
Acute gallbladder inflammation
Cystic duct
Gallbladder neck
Biliary colic
May come as a complication of biliary colic (>6 hrs)
Acute cholecystitis:
The pain - can be very severe:
- sites - 2
- time
- radiation
What other GI symptom may they have?
Boas sign is a sign of AC. What is it?
What is the difference between AC and BC? - 2
RUQ or epigastric pain (not colicky)
Continuous
Back (below the right scapula)
Vomiting
Extreme tenderness in the area of back pain below the scapula
Fever and local peritonism
The patient usually lying still instead of the writhing of biliary colic
Acute cholecystitis:
Murphy’s sign is a sign of AC. How it elicited? - 3
What must be ensured to make sure it is a positive test?
With 2 fingers pressed on RUQ
There is pain on inspiration
Patient stops breathing
If negative on LUQ
Acute cholecystitis:
Phlegmon and the gallbladder may be palpable in the RUQ. What is phlegmon?
Why could jaundice happen in 10% of patients?
What is the name for an infection of the CBD?
Inflamed omentum and bowel around the gallbladder
Due to compression, inflammation or stone impaction in the CBD - Mizzi’s syndrome - rare
Cholangitis
Acute cholecystitis - Investigations:
- Bloods and why?
Imaging
FBC - raised WBC
Inflammatory markers - Raised CRP
LFT - raised liver enzymes (e.g. alkaline phosphate, BR and GGT)
Acute cholecystitis - Investigations:
Best imaging to use is the abdo USS!!!!
How long should the patient be NBM and why?
What may you find on USS? - 1 - What if it is chronic? - 1
How may you elicit Murphy’s sign?
What may suggest there are stones in the CBD?
Abdo USS
4 hrs - will show distended gallbladder
Thick-walled gallbladder
It will be shrunken
Pain when compressing GB with the probe
Dilated CBD (6mm)
Acute cholecystitis - Investigations:
What type of imaging should be done if the USS shows dilated CBD and obstructive LFT’s are failing to improve?
What can be done if the previous is inconclusive?
MRCP - magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography
Provides detailed images of your liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, pancreas and pancreatic duct.
An endoscopic US - EUS
A special endoscope uses high-frequency sound waves to produce detailed images of the lining and walls of your digestive tract and chest, nearby organs such as the pancreas and liver, and lymph nodes.