gallbladder flashcards
Perfect — I’ll do this the same exact way:
✔ standalone flashcards
✔ term included in every answer
✔ detailed but exam-ready
✔ clean for Quizlet/Anki
🧠 GALLBLADDER PATHOLOGY – DETAILED FLASHCARDS
🟢 BASIC OVERVIEW
Q: What is the function of the gallbladder?
A: The gallbladder stores and releases bile to aid in fat digestion
🚨 CLINICAL SYMPTOMS
Q: What type of pain is associated with gallbladder disease?
A: Gallbladder disease commonly presents with right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain, which may radiate to the right shoulder or right flank
Q: What is postprandial pain in gallbladder disease?
A: Postprandial pain occurs after eating (especially fatty meals) because fat intake stimulates gallbladder contraction, which can worsen obstruction and cause pain
Q: What is Murphy’s sign?
A: Murphy’s sign is pain with deep inspiration while pressing on the RUQ, indicating acute cholecystitis
Q: What is the sonographic Murphy’s sign?
A: The sonographic Murphy’s sign is maximal pain when the ultrasound probe presses over the gallbladder, with >95% accuracy for acute cholecystitis
Q: What causes jaundice in gallbladder disease?
A: Jaundice occurs due to biliary obstruction leading to increased bilirubin levels
🧪 SONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS
Q: What are general ultrasound findings in gallbladder disease?
A: Findings include wall thickening (>3 mm), pericholecystic fluid, duct dilation, and a positive Murphy’s sign
Q: What defines gallbladder wall thickening?
A: Gallbladder wall thickening is defined as a wall measuring >3 mm (measured at the anterior wall only)
Q: What causes gallbladder wall thickening?
A: Causes include:
Intrinsic: cholecystitis, carcinoma
Extrinsic: ascites, CHF
Q: What is pericholecystic fluid?
A: Pericholecystic fluid is fluid surrounding the gallbladder, indicating inflammation or possible perforation
Q: How do you confirm bile ducts vs vessels on ultrasound?
A: Use Color Doppler, where bile ducts show NO flow and vessels show flow
🪨 CHOLELITHIASIS
Q: What is cholelithiasis?
A: Cholelithiasis is the presence of gallstones within the gallbladder
Q: What are key facts about cholelithiasis?
A: Cholelithiasis is the most common gallbladder disease, more common in women, and most stones are cholesterol stones
Q: What are classic ultrasound findings of gallstones?
A: Gallstones appear as:
Echogenic
Mobile
Posterior acoustic shadowing
May show twinkle artifact on Doppler
Q: What are variations of gallstones?
A: Variations include large stones, gravel (tiny stones), and stones mixed with sludge
⚠ PITFALLS
Q: What can cause false positives for gallstones?
A: False positives include bowel gas, ligamentum teres, and folds (valves of Heister)
Q: What can cause false negatives for gallstones?
A: False negatives include incorrect settings or stones hidden in the neck (Hartmann pouch) or fundus (Phrygian cap)
⭐ WES SIGN
Q: What is the WES sign?
A: The WES sign (Wall-Echo-Shadow) indicates a contracted gallbladder filled with stones, showing only the anterior wall with shadowing behind it
👉 Also called the double arc shadow sign
🟤 GALLBLADDER SLUDGE
Q: What is gallbladder sludge?
A: Gallbladder sludge is thick bile composed of calcium, mucus, and cholesterol
Q: What are ultrasound findings of sludge?
A: Sludge appears:
Echogenic
NO shadow
Moves slowly
Layers in the dependent portion
Q: How do you differentiate sludge from stones?
A:
Stone = posterior shadowing
Sludge = NO shadow
🔸 SPECIAL SLUDGE TYPES
Q: What is tumefactive sludge?
A: Tumefactive sludge appears mass-like but has no vascular flow and moves slowly, helping differentiate from tumors
Q: What are sludge balls?
A: Sludge balls are round, mobile echogenic structures without shadowing, which can mimic stones
Q: What is hepatization of the gallbladder?
A: Hepatization occurs when the gallbladder is filled with sludge and appears similar in echogenicity to liver tissue
🔥 ACUTE CHOLECYSTITIS
Q: What is acute cholecystitis?
A: Acute cholecystitis is inflammation of the gallbladder, 95% caused by gallstones
Q: What are ultrasound findings of acute cholecystitis?
A: Findings include:
Gallstones
Wall thickening (>3 mm)
Pericholecystic fluid
Positive Murphy’s sign
Hyperemia on Doppler
Q: What is the treatment for acute cholecystitis?
A: Treatment includes cholecystectomy, or antibiotics/drainage if unstable
⚠ COMPLICATIONS
Q: What is empyema (suppurative cholecystitis)?
A: Empyema of the gallbladder is the presence of pus within the gallbladder, associated with fever and chills
Q: What is emphysematous cholecystitis?
A: Emphysematous cholecystitis is infection with gas-forming organisms (e.g., E. coli), showing gas with dirty shadowing, and has high mortality
Q: What is gangrenous cholecystitis?
A: Gangrenous cholecystitis is ischemia leading to necrosis of the gallbladder wall, increasing risk of perforation
🔁 CHRONIC CHOLECYSTITIS
Q: What causes chronic cholecystitis?
A: Chronic cholecystitis is caused by repeated inflammation due to intermittent obstruction by stones
Q: What are symptoms of chronic cholecystitis?
A: Symptoms include fat intolerance, RUQ pain, nausea/vomiting, and recurrent attacks
Q: What conditions can mimic chronic cholecystitis?
A: Mimics include adenomyomatosis and gallbladder carcinoma
⚪ OTHER CONDITIONS
Q: What is acalculous cholecystitis?
A: Acalculous cholecystitis is inflammation of the gallbladder without stones, often seen in ICU patients due to ischemia or bile stasis
Q: What is a hydropic gallbladder?
A: A hydropic gallbladder is an enlarged gallbladder (>4 cm AP) due to obstruction
Q: What is a porcelain gallbladder?
A: A porcelain gallbladder is a calcified gallbladder wall, associated with increased cancer risk
Q: What is Courvoisier gallbladder?
A: Courvoisier gallbladder is an enlarged, painless gallbladder associated with pancreatic cancer and painless jaundice
🍔 BOUVERET SYNDROME
Q: What is Bouveret syndrome?
A: Bouveret syndrome is gastric outlet obstruction caused by a gallstone passing through a fistula into the GI tract
🌿 HYPERPLASTIC CONDITIONS
Q: What is adenomyomatosis?
A: Adenomyomatosis is gallbladder wall thickening with Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses, producing a comet tail artifact (key sign)
Q: What is cholesterolosis?
A: Cholesterolosis is fat deposition in the gallbladder wall, giving a “strawberry gallbladder” appearance, with NO comet tail artifact
🌱 GALLBLADDER POLYPS
Q: What are ultrasound features of gallbladder polyps?
A: Gallbladder polyps are:
Non-mobile
Echogenic
No shadowing
May have a vascular stalk
Q: What size of gallbladder polyp is concerning?
A: Polyps ≥10 mm raise concern for malignancy
🎗 GALLBLADDER CARCINOMA
Q: What is gallbladder carcinoma?
A: Gallbladder carcinoma is a rare but aggressive malignancy associated with gallstones, porcelain gallbladder, and large polyps
Q: What are ultrasound findings of gallbladder carcinoma?
A: Findings include:
Non-mobile mass
Irregular wall thickening
Internal vascularity
🔥 FINAL COUNT
👉 This set = ~52–55 flashcards (very similar to your biliary set)
If you want next step:
🔥 I can combine BOTH sets into:
100-card master ARDMS deck
OR make “trap-style exam questions” (this is what actually boosts your score fast)