What complications can gallstones cause?

What complications may gallstones cause?

If gallstones are not treated promptly, serious complications may occur, causing greater harm to the patient.

Common complications of gallstones include:

1. Common bile duct inflammation

It is one of the common complications of gallstones. Due to the contamination of the common bile duct by bacterial bile discharge, stimulation of the Oddi sphincter, spasm or stenosis, it can cause common bile duct inflammation, or sudden edema and thickening of the common bile duct lining. If the inflammation worsens, ascending infection can cause suppurative cholangitis.

2. Gallbladder perforation

This is a very serious complication in patients with gallstones. Due to acute inflammatory edema, the blood vessels in the gallbladder wall are compressed, leading to ischemic necrosis and gallbladder perforation. If it is not wrapped around the periphery, it may even lead to bile peritonitis.

3. Bile duct bleeding

If the patient has bile duct bleeding, hematemesis, blood in the stool, abdominal pain and other symptoms may occur, followed by jaundice. Abdominal pain is usually caused by increased intra-biliary pressure and spasm of the bile duct wall. When the blood enters the intestine, the intra-biliary pressure decreases and the pain can be relieved.

4. Acute pancreatitis

The abdominal pain caused by acute pancreatitis is often more severe than that caused by cholecystitis, accompanied by severe vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain that does not ease after vomiting. It is usually caused by pancreaticobiliary obstruction, increased pressure in the main pancreatic duct, pancreatic swelling, and pancreatic involvement. Serum and urine amylase increase significantly, generally exceeding 500 Solomon units. Blood amylase increases after 3-6 hours, reaches a peak in about 20-30 hours, and returns to normal within about 30 hours-4 days. Urine amylase is higher than serum amylase, but lasts longer.

5. Liver abscess

Liver abscess is caused by inflammation of the bile duct spreading upward to the liver. Patients may experience chills, high fever, right upper abdominal pain, hepatomegaly, etc. The pain is mostly persistent swelling and pain. During examination, there is tenderness and percussion pain in the liver and gallbladder area, and severe cases have jaundice. X-ray examination shows elevated right abdominal muscles.