Bile: Bile is a yellow-green fluid that is made by the liver, stored in the gallbladder and passes through the common bile duct into the duodenum where it helps digest fat. The principal components of bile are cholesterol, bile salts, and the pigment bilirubin. See the entire definition of Bile
Bypass: An operation in which a surgeon creates a new tubular pathway for the movement of fluids and/or other substances in the body.
Cholangiography: Radiographic examination of the bile ducts with contrast medium. The contrast medium may be administered orally or injected intravenously or percutaneously (through the skin).
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: Abbreviated ERCP. A procedure done to diagnose and treat problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas, including gallstones, inflammatory strictures (scars), leaks (from trauma and surgery), and cancer. ERCP combines the use of x-rays and an endoscope (a long, flexible, lighted tube). Through it, the physician can see the inside of the stomach and duodenum and inject dye into the bile ducts and pancreas so they can be seen on x-ray. ERCP takes 30 minutes to 2 hours. Possible complications of ERCP include pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), infection, bleeding, and perforation of the duodenum. See the entire definition of Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
Endoscopic ultrasound: Abbreviated EUS. A procedure that combines endoscopy and ultrasound to obtain images and information about the digestive tract and the surrounding tissue and organs. In EUS a small ultrasound transducer is installed on the tip of the endoscope allowing the transducer to get close to the organs inside the body so the resultant ultrasound images are often more accurate and detailed than ones obtained by traditional ultrasound. See the entire definition of Endoscopic ultrasound
Gallbladder: A pear-shaped organ just below the liver that stores the bile secreted by the liver. During a fatty meal, the gallbladder contracts, delivering the bile through the bile ducts into the intestines to help with digestion. Abnormal composition of bile leads to formation of gallstones, a process termed cholelithiasis. The gallstones cause cholecystitis, inflammation of the gallbladder.
Gallstones: Stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. There can be just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or any combination. See the entire definition of Gallstones
Intestine: The long, tubelike organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion. It consists of the small and large intestines.
Intravenous cholangiogram: Abbreviated IVC. A radiologic procedure used primarily to look at the larger bile ducts in the liver and the bile ducts outside the liver. IVC can be used to locate gallstones within the bile ducts and identify other causes of obstruction to the flow of bile. For an IVC, an iodine-containing dye is injected intravenously. The dye is removed from blood by the liver which excretes it into the bile. The dye outlines the bile ducts and any gallstones that may be within them.
Iodine: An essential element in the diet used by the thyroid gland to make thyroid hormones. See the entire definition of Iodine
Jaundice: Yellow staining of the skin and sclerae (the whites of the eyes) by abnormally high blood levels of the bile pigment bilirubin. The yellowing extends to other tissues and body fluids. Jaundice was once called the "morbus regius" (the regal disease) in the belief that only the touch of a king could cure it. See the entire definition of Jaundice
Liver: An organ in the upper abdomen that aids in digestion and removes waste products and worn-out cells from the blood. The liver is the largest solid organ in the body. The liver weighs about three and a half pounds (1.6 kilograms). It measures about 8 inches (20 cm) horizontally (across) and 6.5 inches (17 cm) vertically (down) and is 4.5 inches (12 cm) thick.
Small intestine: The part of the digestive tract that extends from the stomach to the large intestine.
Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultrasound waves can be bounced off of tissues using special devices. The echoes are then converted into a picture called a sonogram. Ultrasound imaging, referred to as ultrasonography, allows physicians and patients to get an inside view of soft tissues and body cavities, without using invasive techniques. Ultrasound is often used to examine a fetus during pregnancy. There is no convincing evidence for any danger from ultrasound during pregnancy.
X-ray:1. High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-rays possess the properties of penetrating most substances (to varying extents), of acting on a photographic film or plate (permitting radiography), and of causing a fluorescent screen to give off light (permitting fluoroscopy). In low doses X-rays are used for making images that help to diagnose disease, and in high doses to treat cancer. Formerly called a Roentgen ray. 2. An image obtained by means of X-rays.
Gallstones are stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones (formed in the gallbladder) can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. There can be just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or any combination. The majority of gallstones do not cause symptoms.
Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
Gallstones are "stones" that form in the gallbladder or bile ducts.
The common types of gallstones are cholesterol, black pigment, and brown pigment.
Cholesterol gallstones occur more frequently in several ethnic groups and are associated with female
gender, obesity, pregnancy,
oral hormonal therapy, rapid loss of weight,
elevated blood triglyceride levels, and Crohn's disease.
Black pigment gallstones occur when there is increased destruction of red blood cells, and brown pigment gallstones
occur when there is slow flow and infection of bile.
The majority of gallstones do not cause symptoms.
The most common symptoms of gallstones are biliary colic and cholecystitis.
Gallstones do not cause intolerance to fatty foods,
belching,
abdominal distention, or
gas.
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