Diagnosis of Gallstones, Any Examination required?

Diagnosis of Gallstones, Any Examination required?

Gallstone disease did not show typical symptoms. The condition often suffered similar to symptoms of other diseases, such as heart attack, appendicitis, irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis, and hepatitis. Of course, the symptoms that caused this to be gallstones are diagnosed with accurate so that treatment can be done appropriately. Thus, examination of anything that may be recommended a doctor for you?

In fact, the doctor may suspect the presence of diseases of gall stones just passing interview regarding complaints and physical examination of the patient.

Further examination, however, remains to be done in order to establish a diagnosis and a plan of action. Well, any methods used to diagnose the presence of gallstones?

Examination of x-rays are usually not recommended for patients with gallstones even though usually the existence of stone was discovered accidentally through this type of examination when evaluating patients with other diseases. Why?

X-rays are done only can capture an image of a large stone with a high density of calcium, but it is not able to detect the pigment stones are more lenient.

Well, now let's get to know the various methods that are more appropriate to detect the presence of new channels or Your gall bladder.

Ultrasound/ULTRASOUND

Examination of gallstones commonly done is by ultrasonography. Standard examination is useful to view the location of the presence of gallstones in the liver and gall bladder.

In addition, these methods will help the doctor see if also occurs a blockage, infection or rupture of the gallbladder. The accuracy of this examination reached 95 percent.

Moreover, if the examination is done while the patient is being complained of symptoms. In addition to the relatively cheaper cost, advantages of this method is the absence of side effects. Meanwhile, the weakness of this method is difficult to see the stone if it is located in the channel and the estuary of the bile duct.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography/ERCP

ERCP method is used to ensure the existence of the stone, especially on the koledokus duct. The procedure is done by pasting a pliable tubing through the mouth into the stomach and duodenum.

After reaching the duodenum, small pipe (kanula) was added to the koledokus duct after contrasting substance previously, iodium sprayed when the pipe is located at the entrance of koledokus duct.

When the existence of stone found in the duct koledokus, stone will be instantly issued at that time as well. Therefore, in addition to purely diagnostic ERCP, also is therapeutic. This is its main advantage.

However, with the rapid advances in the field of diagnostic radiology, Magnetic Resonance Cholangio-Pancreatography (MRCP) is more often used to replace the present, ERCP method so that it is often done for therapeutic ERCP.

Magnetic Resonance Cholangio-Pancreatography/MRCP

Magnetic Resonance Cholangio-Pancreatography (MRCP) is a Imaging examinations using electromagnetic resonance. This examination can detect stones in the gall bladder and bile ducts with very good, even when there is cancer in the bile duct.

The level of accuracy of this method reach 90% and relatively safe. Unfortunately, the cost of the inspection is quite expensive.

Examination Of CT Scan

Examination of CT scans being performed will show more detail yet about the whereabouts of the stone, or no blockage, and dilation of the bile duct as well as the complications that occur such as inflammation of the gall bladder or broken (ruptured). Unfortunately, this method is more expensive than the methods of examination with ultrasound.

HIDA Scan/Hepatobilliary

HIDA scan was not specifically intended to detect the presence of gallstones, but are only used to ascertain what happened in sistikus duct obstruction or not, be it due to stones or inflammation.

In addition, with this method, the doctor can be sure how your liver excretion functions, for example to know if there are disturbances in bile salt production process or not.

In addition, in addition to a variety of new screening methods of bile on the laboratory examination, can also be done as an adjunctive screening in order to detect other conditions due to stone like inflammation, impaired liver function, pancreatic function and other disorders