The gallbladder is an organ located under the liver. The liver makes bile and the gallbladder stores the bile. Bile is a fluid that helps to digest food. When we eat, the gallbladder contracts and releases the bile through ducts that connect to your digestive system.
What is Gallbladder Disease?
Gallbladder disease occurs when your bile ducts become blocked and the bile is not able to flow from your liver into the digestive system.
Gallbladder disease can be caused by:
Hardening of the bile leading to gallstones
Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder)
Congenital defects of the gallbladder
Gallbladder disease may be related to:
A high fat diet or obesity
Blood diseases including sickle cell anemia, hereditary spherocytosis and beta-thalassemia
Certain medications including birth control pills
Other medical conditions such as prematurity requiring prolonged IV nutrition
Symptoms of Gallbladder Disease in Children:
Pain in the right upper or middle upper part of the abdomen that is sharp, dull, or cramping and can spread to the back between the shoulder blades especially after eating a meal
Nausea or vomiting
Fever, chills, or sweats
Jaundice (yellowing of the whites of the eyes)
What Test can be Done to Diagnose Gallbladder Disease?
Blood tests
Ultrasound to look at the gallbladder
A specialized MRI test called magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) to get detailed images of the bile ducts
Gallbladder ejection fraction study called hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan which shows how well the gallbladder is functioning
What Should I do if I Suspect My Child has Gallbladder Disease?
Contact your child's physician to discuss your concern and to have your child evaluated
There are currently no reliable medicines to make gallbladder disease go away
Avoid greasy and high fat foods since they often aggravate the pain
If you would like more information about gastrointestinal (GI) digestive disorders and nutrition in children, please contact Dr. Mona Dave's Frisco Office or Request Appointment Here.
At Manisha “Mona” Dave, MD – Pediatric Gastroenterology, we provide expert, child-focused digestive care from infancy to young adulthood. Dr. Dave, double board-certified in pediatric gastroenterology and obesity medicine, delivers accurate diagnoses, often within a week, in a warm, family-friendly setting.
