General Information About Porcelain Gallbladder
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is the calcification of the walls of the gallbladder, which is normally like a flexible balloon, turning the organ into a rigid, porcelain-like vessel as a result of long-term inflammation.
It is given this name because the calcified gallbladder appears bright white, fragile, and resembles a porcelain teapot on X-ray or ultrasound imaging.
It almost always develops as a scar healing process resulting from the friction of numerous gallstones against the inner lining of the gallbladder over many years, causing chronic inflammation (cholecystitis).
It mostly causes no symptoms and is discovered incidentally on scans taken for another reason. Some patients may experience chronic gallstone pain (pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen).
The most important medical feature of a porcelain gallbladder is its risk of cancer. Patients with a calcified wall have a significantly higher probability of developing Gallbladder Cancer compared to normal individuals.
There is no medication to dissolve the calcium inside. Due to the high cancer risk it carries, the gold standard treatment is the complete removal of the gallbladder via closed (laparoscopic) surgery and sending it for pathology, even if the patient has no complaints.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
