Forsyth Medical Center 
Gallbladder/Bile Duct
Cholecystitis
| Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder wall and nearby abdominal lining. |
Causes of Cholecystitis
Cholecystitis is usually caused by a gallstone in the cystic duct which is the duct that connects the gallbladder to the hepatic duct. Other causes may include the following:
- Bacterial infection in the bile duct system
- Pancreatic or liver tumor
- Decreased blood supply to the gallbladder
- Gallbladder "sludge" (common in pregnant women or someone who has had rapid weight loss)
Symptoms of Cholecystitis
The most common symptoms of cholecystitis (same as the symptoms of gallstones) include:
- Intense and sudden pain in the upper, right side of the abdomen
- Recurrent painful attacks for several hours after meals
- Pain which is increasingly worse with deep breaths (extending to the right shoulder blade)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Rigid abdominal muscles on the right side
- Fever
- Chills
- Jaundice
- Loose, light-colored bowel movements
- Abdominal bloating
Diagnosis of Cholecystitis
Procedures to diagnose cholecystitis may include:
- Ultrasound
- Hepatobiliary scintigraphy
- Cholangiography
- Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC)
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
- CT scan
