Browse the corpus
Walk the Even Hospital Database by book and chapter — the raw source passages that ground Ask, DDx, and the rest.
1 passage
The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen (see Image. The Gallbladder and Bile Ducts Laid Open). It measures approximately 7 cm to 10 cm in length and 4 cm in width. Even though the organ is small, it is a common cause of abdominal pain due to gallstones, which often require surgical removal of the organ. Anatomically, the gallbladder is located anteriorly on the undersurface of liver segments IV and V. There are many variants of the anatomy of the biliary system, making exact knowledge of these anatomic possibilities crucial when performing gallbladder and biliary surgery. The gallbladder has an inferior peritoneal surface and a superior liver surface. It has no capsule; however, some authors describe an extension of the liver capsule (Glisson's capsule) covering the exposed surface of the gallbladder body. The gallbladder fundus is wide, and as it continues into the main body, it narrows in diameter. The gallbladder body tapers into the infundibulum, which connects to the neck and cystic duct. At the distal portion of the gallbladder and into the cystic duct are Heister spiral valves. These valves may be responsible for aiding gallbladder emptying with neural and hormonal stimulation. In most people, there is an inferior outpouching of the gallbladder infundibulum or neck called Hartmann's Pouch. Occasionally, a paucity is located at the top of the gallbladder fundus. This is called a Phrygian cap and has no pathologic or surgical significance.[1]