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Gallbladder Disease
What is gallbladder disease?
Gallbladder disease includes inflammation, infection, stones or blockage of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is located under the liver and it stores bile produced in the liver which aids in the digestion of fat. Types of gallbladder disease include:
Gallstones
Cholecystitis - inflammation of the gallbladder
Chronic acalculous gallbladder disease
Gangrene or abscesses
Growths of tissue in the gallbladder
Congenital defects of the gallbladder
Sclerosing cholangitis
Tumors of the gallbladder and bile ducts

Symptoms
The most common symptom of gallbladder disease is intermittent pain called biliary colic. Usually, a patient experiences a pain in the upper right abdomen near the rib cage, which can spread to the upper back. Some patients with biliary colic experience pain behind the breastbone, and nausea or vomiting may occur.
Some people with symptomatic gallstones develop inflammation in the gallbladder which occurs when the duct is blocked. The symptoms are similar to those of biliary colic but are more persistent and severe. They include pain in the upper right abdomen that is severe and constant and may last for days. Pain frequently increases when drawing a breath. About a third of patients have fever and chills, and may experience nausea and vomiting.
Chronic gallbladder disease involves gallstones and mild inflammation. In such cases, the gallbladder may become scarred. Symptoms of chronic gallbladder disease include complaints of gas, nausea and abdominal discomfort after meals and chronic diarrhea.
Stones lodged in the common bile duct can cause symptoms that are similar to those produced by stones that lodge in the gallbladder, but they may also cause:
Jaundice
Dark urine, lighter stools or both
Rapid heartbeat and abrupt blood pressure drop
Fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, with severe pain in the upper right abdomen
Diagnosis
Blood tests
Ultrasound and other imaging techniques
Treatment
Surgery may be warranted to remove the gallbladder if the patient has gallstones or the gallbladder is not functioning normally. Most of the time this can be performed laparoscopically (through small incisions) as an outpatient procedure.