THE GALLBLADDER

LOCATION: Located in the gallbladder fossa of the liver, on visceral (posterior side), medial-left lobe.

EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY: A pear-shaped sac, containing concentrated gallbladder bile.

• Small or large amount of mesentery surrounding sac.
• Composed of:

• Fundus
• Body
• Neck

INTERNAL MORPHOLOGY:

• Duct system on inside is made of spiral grooves. It joins the common hepatic duct to form the common bile duct, which dumps out on the major papilla of the duodenum.

RELATIONSHIPS:

• The body of the gall bladder is directly superior to the first part of the duodenum.
• It is adjacent to the Quadrate Lobe (lower posterior lobe) of the liver.

CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

• Small or large amounts of mesentery may be present around the sac. The mesentery commonly has vessels. So surgical removal of the gallbladder can cause massive hemorrhaging if a lot of mesentery is present.
• Cholecystokinin is the hormone that stimulates the release of gallbladder bile.
• Biliary Colic = expansion of the gall bladder or cystic duct, resulting in pain in the right upper quadrant.
• Has many stretch receptors, so it is sensitive to swelling. However, it is relatively insensitive to a direct cut.
• Cholecystitis: The infection of the gall bladder. It is clinically determined by palpating along the right costal margin, along the liver. This is Murphy's Sign.

Category: Anatomy Notes