Have you just had a gallbladder ultrasound result and don’t know what it means? What could the medical terms contained in the result mean? If so, I invite you to read this article. Remember, however, that the correct analysis of the result is made only by the doctor. Do not try to interpret the result on your own.
Ultrasound examination of the gallbladder is part of the total examination of the abdominal cavity. The most common indication for an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, with particular emphasis on imaging the gallbladder, is the suspicion of gallstone disease. In addition to gallstones, an ultrasound scan also detects polyps in the gallbladder or signs of cholecystitis.
Check how to prepare for an abdominal ultrasound
Selected terms used in the description of ultrasound of the gallbladder
The terms that can most often be found in the description of ultrasound, and the most difficult to interpret, will be presented below. I hope you will find it much easier to understand the test result from now on.
- Deposits (concrements) in ultrasound of the gallbladder
What they mean: deposits are stones, most often they are made of cholesterol, calcium ions and bile pigments.
Interpretation: the effect of deposits on the condition of the body depends primarily on their size and quantity. The more large deposits, the greater the risk of blockage of the cystic duct or common bile duct, which may result in the development of acute cholecystitis and even acute pancreatitis.
Check out what acute cholecystitis is
- Diffuse gallbladder wall thickening on ultrasound of the gallbladder
Which means: the thickening is on the wall of the entire gallbladder.
Interpretation: The most common cause of diffuse wall thickening is cholecystitis. Less common causes include liver disease, circulatory failure, renal failure, and sepsis.
Read more about the symptoms of cholecystitis
- Focal thickening of the gallbladder wall on ultrasound of the gallbladder
Which means: thickening only applies to part of the gallbladder wall.
Interpretation: most often, focal thickening indicates the presence of a polyp, a tumor (especially cancer) and adenomyomatosis.
Find out more about the causes of bile duct cancer
- Gallbladder ultrasound of the gallbladder
Which means: the presence of many very small deposits (microtubes) that look like “mud” on the ultrasound image.
Interpretation: the presence of a gallbladder indicates a malfunction of the gallbladder, including a chronic inflammatory process.
- Dilated bile ducts on ultrasound of the gallbladder
Interpretation: intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts may be dilated. The main causes include: ductal cholelithiasis, chronic inflammation of the bile ducts, and biliary neoplasms.
How is gallstone disease manifested?
- Porcelain gallbladder on ultrasound of the gallbladder
Which means: the gallbladder walls are heavily saturated with calcium salts, i.e. they are calcified.
Interpretation: The presence of a porcelain bladder increases the risk of developing gallbladder cancer, which has a very poor prognosis, therefore such a gallbladder should be excised.
- Hyperechoic septum in the gallbladder on ultrasound of the gallbladder
What they mean: the gallbladder can be divided by septum, the term hyperechoic means that the structure is lighter than the surrounding area.
Interpretation: Hyperechoic septum may be observed in the presence of an empyema of the gallbladder.
- Murphy’s ultrasound sign on ultrasound of the gallbladder
Which means: it consists in pressing the right subcostal area with an ultrasound head.
Interpretation: a positive symptom indicates acute cholecystitis or cholecystolithiasis, a negative symptom leads to the diagnosis of acute cholangitis or cholelithiasis.
What is the treatment of stones in the gallbladder?
- Polyp on ultrasound of the gallbladder
What it means: A polyp is a nodular growth of the gallbladder mucosa. Most polyps are benign, 90% of them are cholesterol polyps.
Interpretation: A single large polyp (greater than 10mm), squat, lacking a stalk, enlarging in a short time, may indicate a developing cancer.
- Gallbladder adenomyomatosis in ultrasound of the gallbladder
Which means: adenomyomatosis, or adenomyomatosis, means the proliferation of the gallbladder epithelium along with the hypertrophy of the muscle membrane, which causes the mucosa to convex into the muscle membrane.
Interpretation: is non-cancerous and non-inflammatory, does not increase the risk of developing gallbladder cancer.
- Gallbladder hydration test on ultrasound of the gallbladder
What it means: indicates an enlarged gallbladder in which exudative fluid is accumulating as a result of obstruction of the outflow through the cystic duct.
Interpretation: is a form of chronic cholecystitis, in the event of bacterial superinfection of the contents of the bladder, an empyema may form.
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