Diagnosis of gallstone

Yoo, Kyo Sang

Abstract

Gallstones are often suspected on history and clinical examination alone but symptoms may be variable ranging from asymptomatic to complications such as biliary pain, cholecystitis, jaundice, cholangitis, or pancreatitis. The clinical presentation of gallstone disease may depend on ongoing complications. Patient with gallstone usually present with characteristic biliary pain which is often situated in the right upper quadrant or epigastrium lasting more than thirty minutes to several hours. Diagnostic investigations aimed to predict the presence and location of stones include history, laboratory tests, and imaging studies. Imaging studies such as transabdominal ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and endoscopic ultrasonography, frequently confirm the diagnosis and identify the location and etiology of the obstruction.