Gallstones Flashcards
1
Q
What are gallstones?
A
Small, solid stones that form within the gall bladder
2
Q
What are gallstones made up of?
A
- Cholesterol (80% of cases)
- Pigment (sickle cell disease or liver cirrhosis)
- Mixture.
3
Q
What are the risk factors of gallstones? (4 F’s)
A
- Female
- Fat (BMI > 30)
- Forties ( > 40)
- Fertile (pregnancy)
4
Q
What are some alternative risk factors of gallstones?
A
- Family history
- Rapid weight loss / fasting
- Diabetes
- Crohn’s disease
- Medication (oestrogen)
- Haemolytic conditions (e.g. sickle cell disease causes excess bilirubin = pigment gallstones)
5
Q
What are the symptoms and signs of gallstones?
A
Right upper quadrant or epigastric abdominal pain:
- Constant pain
- Lasts longer than 15-30 mins, but less than 8 hours
- Often worse after fatty foods
- Might radiate to right shoulder or inter scapular region
Negative Murphy’s sign on palpation
6
Q
What are the primary investigations for gallstones? What would they show?
A
- Abdominal ultrasound
- LFTs - would show raised ALP and bilirubin
7
Q
What are the primary investigations for gallstones? What would they show?
A
- Abdominal ultrasound
- LFTs - would show raised ALP and bilirubin
