Porcelain gallbladder facts

Gallbladder is an organ in the human body, which islocated under the liver below the rib cage. It is a sac-like organ, which is apart of the gastrointestinal tract and which has the role in the digestion of the food weeat. Its main function is to store the bile, which is very important for theprocess of the breaking down the fatty foods.

Porcelain gallbladder

Gallbladder can be affected by many disorders ordiseases. One of the gallbladder disorders is porcelain gallbladder. It is a veryrare condition marked by the calcification of the gallbladder, where the wall ofthe gallbladder gets encrusted. Chronic cholecystitis is the medical term for acondition that leads to the occurrence of porcelain gallbladder. In themajority of cases, excessive gallstones are the major cause for the incidenceof chronic cholecystitis. Since the wall of the gallbladder becomes hard,brittle, bluish and white in texture, and it resembles porcelain ceramic. That ishow this condition got the name. The main cause for the porcelain gallbladder is thechronic inflammation of the gallbladder. When the calcification of the wall isextreme, then this condition is also called calcifying cholecystitis orcalcified gallbladder.

Calcification process

The liver is the organ when the bile is synthesized.From the liver through the cystic duct the bile is transported to thegallbladder. From the gallbladder, the bile is carried through the common ductto the small intestine. The small gallstones form from the cholesterol when thebile does not break down all the fats. Sometimes it happens that the gallstoneslodge in the bile ducts and block the normal flow of the fluid. Thus, the gallbladderinflammation or infection occurs, which further leads to the hardening andthickening of the wall of the gallbladder, which is why porcelain gallbladder occurs.

Even though porcelain gallbladder may appear in menas well as in women, the women are more susceptible to this gallbladderdisorder. Fortunately, it rarely happens. However, when it happens, in the majority of cases,a surgery is necessary. In the surgery even the entire gallbladder is removed.

Symptoms of porcelain gallbladder

In most cases, porcelain gallbladder does not showany warning signs. It is usually discovered by certain tests that are carriedout for some other disease. Nevertheless, in some people, there are severalsymptoms that may appear. The most common warning signs of porcelaingallbladder are abdominal pain, especially after eating, jaundice and vomiting.