What is Cholecystitis?
Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder wall and nearby abdominal lining. Cholecystitis is usually caused by a gallstone in the cystic duct, the duct that connects the gallbladder to the hepatic duct. Other causes of cholecystitis may include the following: • bacterial infection in the bile duct system The bile duct system is the drainage system that carries bile from the liver and gallbladder into the area of the small intestine called the duodenum. • tumor of the pancreas or liver • decreased blood supply to the gallbladder This can sometimes occur in persons with diabetes. • gallbladder “sludge” This “sludge” is a thick material that cannot be absorbed by bile in the gallbladder and most commonly occurs in pregnant women or individuals who have experienced a rapid weight loss. Cholecystitis can occur suddenly or gradually over many years.
Definition Cholecystitis refers to a painful inflammation of the gallbladder’s wall. The disorder can occur a single time (acute), or can recur multiple times (chronic). Description The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ in the upper right hand corner of the abdomen. It is connected by a series of ducts (tube-like channels) to the liver, pancreas, and duodenum (first part of the small intestine). To aid in digestion, the liver produces a substance called bile, which is passed into the gallbladder. The gallbladder concentrates this bile, meaning that it reabsorbs some of the fluid from the bile to make it more potent. After a meal, bile is squeezed out of the gallbladder by strong muscular contractions, and passes through a duct into the duodenum. Due to the chemical makeup of bile, the contents of the duodenum are kept at an optimal pH level for digestion. The bile also plays an important part in allowing fats within the small intestine to be absorbed. Causes and symptoms In abo
Symptoms Cholecystitis involves the inflammation a digestive organ, the gallbladder; this is the organ located near the liver, and its secretion of bile is an important part of the digestive process. However, the obstruction of the flow of bile results in a buildup within the gallbladder, causing inflammation, pain, and a potential infection. The most common indication of cholecystitis is a persistent pain in the afflicted persons upper right midsection, but the sensation can sometimes shift around the back or towards the right shoulder blade. Other symptoms of the condition may include queasiness or vomiting, fever, a painful sensation which worsens with deep breaths, tenderness on the right midsection, and pain which lasts for up to six hours following a meal. Causes Gallstones are the usual causes of cholecystitis; these obstruct the cystic duct, a narrow tube which commutes bile from the patients gallbladder. Gallstones are often the reason for acute cases of the condition, and the
