Gallstones Flashcards
Description: What are gallstones?
- Benign disease of the gallbladder
Aetiology/Risk Factors: What are the risk factors for gallstones?
- Age
- Gender (female)
- (4F’s + OCP)
- Cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Obesity
THE PATHOLOGY WAS NOT IN THE LECTURE
THE PATHOLOGY WAS NOT IN THE LECTURE
Symptoms and Signs: What is the presentation of gallstones?
- Asymptomatic
- Biliary colic
- Acute cholecystitis
- Empyema
- Jaundice
- Perforation
- Gallstone ileus
Investigations: How do we investigate gallstones? (10)
- Blood tests (LFTs - AST, ALT and ALP, Amylase, Lipase and WCC)
- Ultrasound scan
- Endoscopic ultrasound
- Oral cholecystography
- CT scan
- Radioisotope scan (HIDA)
- IV cholangiography
- MRCP
- PTC
- ERCP
Treatment: How do we treat gallstones
(a) Asymptomatic patients
(b) Non-operative treatment
(c) Operative treatment
(a) Do nothing
(b) - Dissolution
- Lithotripsy (shock wave treatment)
(c) - Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (GOLD STANDARD)
- Open cholecystectomy
Complications: What are the complications of gallstones?
- Biliary colic
- Acute cholecystitis
- Empyema
- Jaundice
- Perforation
- Gallbladder ileus
- Gallbladder cancer
Extra: State she other diseases of the gallbladder.
- Cholesterolosis
- GB polyps
Extra: What type of gallstones are there?
- Cholesterol stones
- Pigment stones
- However most stones are a mix of both cholesterol stones and pigment stones
Extra: What is cholecystectomy?
Removal of the gallbladder
Extra: State 3 benign diseases of the biliary tract.
- Biliary atresia
- Choledochal cysts
- Iatrogenic
Extra: State 4 causes of common bile duct obstruction
- Gallstones
- Bile duct tumours
- Benign strictures
- External compression (tumours)
Extra: What is choledocholithiasis?
Presence of a gallstone in the common bile duct
