What is cholangitis?

Cholangitis is the medical term for inflammation of the bile ducts. The most common cause is a bacterial infection which arises as a result of pathology within the bile ducts, usually a bile duct blockage. The bile ducts carry bile from the liver and gallbladder into the duodenum. It is also joined by the pancreatic duct which transports the pancreatic enzymes, water and bicarbonate into the duodenal lumen. This is explained further under Bile Duct Anatomy.

continue reading Bile Duct Infection (Cholangitis) and Obstruction (Stricture)

What is Cholecystitis?

Cholecystitis is the medical term for inflammation of the gallbladder, the small sac that lies under the liver and stores bile. It may be acute or chronic. The most common cause of cholecystitis is due to gallstones obstructing the neck of the gallbladder or cystic duct. This is known as calculous cholecystitis. Other causes of cholecystitis that are not due to gallstones is known as acalculous cholecystitis but this accounts for a minority of cases.

How does cholecystitis occur?

Pathophysiology of Cholecystitis

The pathogenesis of cholecystitis is not clearly understood but it appears that gallstone obstruction (calculous cholecystitis) leads to distension of the gallbladder. This disrupts the blood flow and lymphatic drainage resulting in inflammation, which leads to ischemia (tissue injury) and eventually necrosis (tissue death) if left untreated.

continue reading Cholecystitis (Inflamed Gallbladder)

What is the gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a long sac that stores bile produced by the liver. Sitting under the liver, the gallbladder controls the expulsion of bile into the duodenum plays an important role in the digestion of fats. It is not an essential organ and is often removed by a surgical procedure known as a cholecystectomy in cases of gallbladder disease or gallstones.

Anatomy of the Gallbladder

The gallbladder is a pear shaped organ that is about 7 to 10 centimeters long (3 to 4 inches) and 2 to 3 centimeters wide (about 1 inch). It has the ability to hold about 50 milliliters of bile which can be emptied via the cystic duct (gallbladder duct) into the common bile duct. From here, the bile will empty into the lumen of the duodenum. This is explained in detail under Bile Duct Anatomy.

continue reading Gallbladder Location, Anatomy, Parts, Function, Pictures