Acute Cholecystitis: What Are The Symptoms?

Acute Cholecystitis
What are the symptoms?

Signs and symptoms of
Acute cholecystitis is an
cholecystitis may include:
inflammation of the gallbladder. The
 Severe pain in your upper right
gallbladder is an organ that sits below
abdomen
your liver and helps your body digest fat.
Cholecystitis can become very  Pain that radiates from to your
severe and in most cases requires right shoulder or back
immediate medical attention. See your  Tenderness over your abdomen
doctor as soon as possible if you think you when it's touched
have acute cholecystitis.  Nausea
This condition is can become  Vomiting
chronic if it persists for a prolonged  Fever
period of time or if you are having Cholecystitis signs and symptoms
recurring symptoms from the often occur after a meal, particularly a
inflammation. large or fatty meal.
When to see a doctor?

Make an appointment with your
doctor if you have worrisome signs or
symptoms. For abdominal pain so severe
you can't sit still or get comfortable, have
someone drive you to the emergency
room.
Complications
Cholecystitis can lead to a number
of serious complications, including:
 Infection within the gallbladder.
If bile builds up within your
gallbladder, causing cholecystitis,
the bile may become infected.
 Death of gallbladder tissue.
Causes of Cholecystitis Untreated cholecystitis can cause
tissue in the gallbladder to die,
Cholecystitis occurs when the
which in turn can lead to a tear in
gallbladder becomes inflamed. Gallstones
the gallbladder, or it may cause
are the most common cause of
your gallbladder to burst.
gallbladder inflammation but it can also
 Torn gallbladder. A tear in your
occur due to blockage from a tumor or
gallbladder may result from
scarring of the bile duct. The greatest risk
gallbladder enlargement or
factor for cholecystitis is gallstones.
infection.
Risk factors for gallstones include
female sex, increasing age, pregnancy,
oral contraceptives, obesity, diabetes Tests And Diagnosis
mellitus, ethnicity and rapid weight loss. Tests and procedures used to
diagnose cholecystitis include:
 Blood tests. Your doctor may Pain medications. These can help
order blood tests to look for signs control pain until the inflammation in
of an infection or signs of your gallbladder is relieved.
gallbladder problems. Your symptoms are likely to subside in a
 Imaging tests that show your day or two.
gallbladder. Imaging tests, such as
abdominal ultrasound or a Surgery To Remove The
computerized tomography (CT) Gallbladder
scan, can be used to create Because cholecystitis frequently
pictures of your gallbladder that recurs, most people with the condition
may reveal signs of cholecystitis. eventually require gallbladder removal
A scan that shows the movement of

bile through your body. A hepatobiliary
iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan tracks the
production and flow of bile from your
liver to your small intestine and shows
blockage. A HIDA scan involves injecting a
radioactive dye into your body, which
binds to the bile-producing cells so that it
can be seen as it travels with the bile
through the bile ducts. surgery (cholecystectomy).
Cholecystectomy is most
Treatments And Drugs commonly performed using a tiny video
Treatment for cholecystitis usually camera mounted at the end of a flexible
involves a hospital stay to stabilize the tube. This allows your surgeon to see
gallbladder inflammation and possible inside your abdomen and to use special
surgery. surgical tools to remove the gallbladder
(laparoscopic cholecystectomy). The tools
Hospitalization and camera are inserted through four
If you're diagnosed with incisions in your abdomen, and the
cholecystitis, you'll likely be hospitalized. surgeon watches a monitor during
Your doctor will work to control your surgery to guide the tools.
signs and symptoms and to control the An open procedure, in which a
inflammation in your gallbladder. long incision is made in your abdomen, is
Treatments may include: rarely required.
Fasting. You may not be allowed
to eat or drink at first in order to take PREVENTION
stress off your inflamed gallbladder. So You can reduce your risk of
that you don't become dehydrated, you cholecystitis by taking the following steps
may receive fluids through a vein in your to prevent gallstones:
arm.  Lose weight slowly. Rapid weight
Antibiotics to fight infection. If loss can increase the risk of
your gallbladder is infected, your doctor gallstones. If you need to lose
likely will recommend antibiotics.
weight, aim to lose 1 or 2 pounds
(0.5 to about 1 kilogram) a week.
 Maintain a healthy weight. Being
overweight increase the risk of
gallstones. To achieve a healthy
weight, reduce calories and
increase the physical activity.
Maintain a healthy weight by
continuing to eat well and exercise.
 Choose a healthy diet. Diets high
in fat and low in fiber may increase
the risk of gallstones. To reduce
your risk of gallstones, choose a
diet high in fruits, vegetables and
whole grains.
Appointment and Care:

Our KNH specialist can provide you with
more detailed information regarding
Cholecystitis. Consult our Surgical
Doctors;
 Dr. Ayman Bashouni
Surgeon
 Dr. Amr Al Atawy
References:
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chol
ecystitis
 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseas
es-
conditions/cholecystitis/basics/pre
vention/con-20034277
 http://www.healthline.com/health
/acute-cholecystitis#Diagnosis4
 http://www.merckmanuals.com/pr
ofessional/hepatic-and-biliary-
disorders/gallbladder-and-bile-
duct-disorders/acute-cholecystitis
 http://www.webmd.com/digestive-
disorders/tc/cholecystitis-
overview#1

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Acute Cholecystitis

What are the symptoms?

When to see a doctor?

A scan that shows the movement of

Appointment and Care:

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