Examination of the gallbladder

Anatomical location
Project the anterior abdominal side at the intersection of the right rib arch and the outer edge of the rectus abdominis muscle. Its localized 4 - 5 cm from the midline.

Palpation examination
By palpation we determine the size and consistency of the gallbladder. Normal gallbladder is not palpable but enlarged gallbladder is felt like a pear-shaped formation. In case of inflammation, the palpation causes a painful reaction.

The background for enlargement may be:


 * pathological fluid proliferation due to inflammation or bile stagnation (elastic, soft),
 * cholelithiasis,
 * tumor infiltration (solid to hard)

Inflammation of the gallbladder is the background of the positivity of Murphy's symptom. Apply point pressure at the location of the gallbladder (finger) and ask the patient to breathe deeply. The patient is unable to breathe deeply due to the impact of the gallbladder on the pressure finger (pain).

Courvoisier's sign - a palpable painless gallbladder (closure of extrahepatic bile ducts with a wedged stone on the papilla, papillary carcinoma and head of the pancreas).

Gallbladder colic
Severe, mostly gripping pain with wavy increases and decreases lasting several minutes (typical for hollow organs - alternating cramps and releases of smooth muscle of organs). The pain is located in the right hypochondrium and radiates laterally or backwards under the right shoulder blade.