Gallstones: diagnosing with ultrasound
Ultrasound is the most common technique used to confirm the presence of gallstones, which are stone-like deposits formed in the gallbladder.
Where is my gallbladder?
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ underneath the liver. It stores and concentrates bile, a greenish-yellow fluid that helps in the digestion of fats.
How do gallstones form?
Gallstones form when cholesterol or bile pigments come out of the bile solution and ‘crystallise’ in the gallbladder. About three-quarters of all gallstones are made up of cholesterol. Most other gallstones are made up of a bile pigment called bilirubin and are sometimes called pigment stones.
How does the ultrasound work?
The ultrasound is a quick and painless procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves, sent through a hand-held device that is moved across the abdomen.
The echoes as the sound waves bounce off the gallbladder and other organs are recorded as an electrical impulse, and then measured and displayed as a picture on a video monitor. The person conducting the ultrasound may also take still snapshots of the moving picture on the screen.
Ultrasound is a highly accurate way to show whether you have gallstones in your gallbladder.
Last Reviewed: 08 January 2010
- 1. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. Gallstones [Website]. July 2007 http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gallstones/ (accessed April 2010).
