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Gallstones and gallbladder disease - Symptoms

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gallstones.

Alternative Names

Cholecystitis; Choledocholithiasis; Bile duct stones

Symptoms:

About 90% of gallstones cause no symptoms at all. If problems do occur, the chance of developing pain is about 2% per year for the first 10 years after stone formation. After 10 years, the chance for developing symptoms declines. On average, symptoms take about 8 years to develop. The reason for the decline in symptoms after 10 years is not known, although some doctors suggest that "younger," smaller stones may be more likely to cause symptoms than larger, older ones. Acalculous gallbladder disease will often present with similar symptoms to those of gallbladder stones.

Biliary Pain or Colic

The mildest and most common symptom of gallbladder disease is intermittent pain called biliary colic, which occurs either in the mid- or the right portion of the upper abdomen. Symptoms may be fairly nonspecific. A typical attack has several features:

  • The primary symptom is typically a steady gripping or gnawing pain in the upper right abdomen near the rib cage, which can be quite severe and can radiate to the upper back. Some patients with biliary colic experience the pain behind the breast bone.
  • Nausea or vomiting may occur.
  • Changes in position, over-the-counter pain relievers, and passage of gas do not relieve the symptoms.
  • Biliary colic typically disappears after 1 to several hours. If it persists beyond this point, acute cholecystitis or more serious conditions may be present.
  • The episodes typically occur at the same time of day, but less frequently than once a week. Large or fatty meals can precipitate the pain, but it usually occurs several hours after eating and often awakens the patient during the night.
  • Recurrence is common, but attacks can be years apart. In one study, for example, 30% of people who had had 1- 2 attacks experienced no further biliary pain over the next 10 years.

Digestive complaints such as belching, feeling unduly full after meals, bloating, heartburn (burning feeling behind the breast bone), or regurgitation (acid back-up in the food pipe) are not likely to be caused by gallbladder disease. Conditions that may cause these symptoms include peptic ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or indigestion of unknown cause. [For more information, see In-Depth Report #19 Peptic ulcers and In-Depth Report #85 Gastroesophageal reflux disease.]

Symptoms of Gallbladder Inflammation (Acute Calculous and Acalculous Cholecystitis)

Between 1 - 3% of people with symptomatic gallstones develop inflammation in the gallbladder (acute cholecystitis), which occurs when stones or sludge block the duct. The symptoms are similar to those of biliary colic but are more persistent and severe. They include the following:

  • Pain in the upper right abdomen that is severe and constant, and may last for days. Pain frequently increases when drawing a breath.
  • Pain may also radiate to the back or occur under the shoulder blades, behind the breast bone, or on the left side.
  • About a third of patients have fever and chills.
  • Nausea and vomiting may occur.

Anyone who experiences such symptoms should seek medical attention. Acute cholecystitis can progress to gangrene or perforation of the gallbladder if left untreated. Infection develops in about 20% of acute cholecystitis, which increases the danger from this condition. People with diabetes are at particular risk for serious complications.

Symptoms of Chronic Cholecystitis or Dysfunctional Gallbladders

Chronic gallbladder disease (chronic cholecystitis) is marked by gallstones and low-grade inflammation. In such cases the gallbladder may become scarred and stiff. Symptoms of chronic gallbladder disease include the following:

  • Complaints of gas, nausea, and abdominal discomfort after meals; these are the most common symptoms, but they may be vague and indistinguishable from similar complaints in people without gallbladder disease.
  • Chronic diarrhea (4 - 10 bowel movements every day for at least 3 months).

Symptoms of Stones in the Common Bile Duct (Choledocholithiasis)

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 the following symptoms:

Choledocholithiasis

  • Jaundice (yellowish skin)
  • Dark urine, lighter stools, or both
  • Heartbeat may become rapid and blood pressure may drop abruptly
  • Fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, and severe pain in the upper right abdomen. These symptoms suggest an infection in the bile duct (called cholangitis).

As in acute cholecystitis, patients who have these symptoms should seek medical help immediately. They may require emergency treatment.

Resources

References

Afdhal NH. Diseases of the Gallbladder and Bile Ducts. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D. (eds.). Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007.

Buch S, Schafmayer C, Völzke H, et al. A genome-wide association scan identifies the hepatic cholesterol transporter ABCG8 as a susceptibility factor for human gallstone disease. Nat Genet. 2007;39(8):995-999.

Dray X, Joy F, Reijasse D, et al. Incidence, risk factors, and complications of cholelithiasis in patients with home parenteral nutrition. J Am Coll Surg. 2007;204(1):13-21.

Grünhage F, Acalovschi M, Tirziu S, et al. Increased gallstone risk in humans conferred by common variant of hepatic ATP-binding cassette transporter for cholesterol. Hepatology. 2007;46(3):793-801.

Gurusamy, KS, Samraj K. Cholecystectomy versus no cholecystectomy in patients with silent gallstones. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(1):CD006230.

Ito K, Ito H, Whang EE. Timing of Cholecystectomy for Biliary Pancreatitis: Do the Data Support Current Guidelines? J Gastrointest Surg. 2008 Jul 18 [Epub ahead of print].

Kuo KK, Shin SJ, Chen ZC, et al. Significant association of ABCG5 604Q and ABCG8 D19H polymorphisms with gallstone disease. Br J Surg. 2008;95(8):1005-1011.

Myers JA, Fischer GA, Sarker S, et al. Gallbladder disease in patients undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2005;1(6)561-563.

Portenier DD, Grant JP, Blackwood HS, et al. Expectant management of the asymptomatic gallbladder at Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2007; 3(4):476-479.

Rosing DK, de Virgilio C, Yaghoubian A, et al. Early cholecystectomy for mild to moderate gallstone pancreatitis shortens hospital stay. J Am Coll Surg. 2007;205(6):762-766.

Strasberg SM. Acute calculous cholecystitis. N Engl J Med. 2008;358(26):2804-2811.

Tsai CJ, Leitzmann MF, Willett WC, et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of cholecystectomy in women. Am J Med. 2006;119(9):760-767.

Tsai CJ, Leitzmann MF, Willett WC, et al. Heme and non-heme iron consumption and risk of gallstone disease in men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(2):518-522.

Williams EJ, Green J, Beckingham I, et al. Guidelines on the management of common bile duct stones (CBDS). Gut. 2008;57(7):1004-1021.

  • Reviewed last on: 9/30/2008
  • Reviewed by: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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