Cholecystitis is inflammation of the gallbladder caused by blockage of the cystic duct, usually due to gallstones. Symptoms include pain in the upper right abdomen, vomiting, weakness, and fatigue. Treatment involves hospitalization, antibiotics, pain relievers, and surgical removal of the gallbladder. Chronic cholecystitis can occur after repeated acute cases and is treated with surgical removal of the gallbladder.
Inflammation of the gallbladder, or cholecystitis, is a painful condition usually caused by blockage of the cystic duct. Cholecystitis can be classified as acute or chronic, depending on the course of the disease. Symptoms include pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, vomiting, weakness, and fatigue. Some patients develop fever and chills. Treatment of this condition generally involves hospitalization, antibiotics, pain relievers, and surgical removal of the gallbladder.
There are various causes of gallbladder inflammation, but the most common cause is obstruction of the cystic duct due to gallstones or cholelithitis. When the cystic duct is blocked, bile stasis occurs and infection can follow. This leads to the release of inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandins, and irritation of the gallbladder mucosa, resulting in gallbladder swelling and thickening of the gallbladder wall. When inflammation is not addressed immediately, the gallbladder can undergo necrosis and rupture, leading to irritation of nearby structures such as the pancreas, intestines and diaphragm. This series of events leads to the typical symptoms.
Symptoms of acute cholecystitis begin with severe pain in the upper right side of the abdomen or stomach area and can extend to the area under the right scapular or back. The pain is similar to biliary colic due to gallstones, but is usually more severe and lasts longer. It is constant and can last from six hours to more than 12 hours. When the doctor tries to press on the patient’s affected area, the patient usually feels a sharp pain, known in medical parlance as Murphy’s sign. Deep breathing usually makes the pain worse.
Pain from gallbladder inflammation is usually accompanied by a low-grade fever, decreased appetite, increased heart rate, increased sweating, nausea, and vomiting. Most of the time, a person with acute cholecystitis does not have jaundice. Some people experience an acute attack that resolves within 24 hours or after seven to ten days. For people who experience symptoms suddenly and without resolution, immediate surgery may be needed to prevent contamination of the other abdominal organs.
A form of acute inflammation of the gallbladder that is not associated with gallstones is called acute gallstone cholecystitis. The symptoms may not be important in this case because the underlying disease obscures the symptoms. Predisposing factors for this condition include sepsis, immunosuppression, trauma, burns, and diabetes.
Chronic inflammation of the gallbladder can occur after repeated cases of acute cholecystitis, but often have no previous symptoms. Symptoms of nonspecific chronic gallbladder inflammation include widespread abdominal pain, frequent belching, nausea, and diarrhea. Surgical removal of the gallbladder is also the definitive treatment of chronic cholecystitis.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
