What is gallbladder polyp?
Epithelial cells lining the inner surface of the digestive system can grow in place and form lumps of various sizes. These lumps are generally called polyps. Polyps usually appear in the large intestine (colon).
Gallbladder polyps begin in the membrane layer of epithelial cells lining the inner wall of the gallbladder. Its prevalence in society varies between 3 percent and 6 percent. About 95 percent of polyps are benign.
What are the types of gallbladder polyps?
Safra kesesi poliplerinin türleri nelerdir?
There are four types of polyps in the gallbladder. 60 percent of these are polyps containing cholesterol. These polyps are benign and do not show cancerous properties. 25 percent of them are adenomyomas. Adenomyomas are structures that originate from both muscle and mucosa of the gallbladder wall. Inflammatory polyps are seen in 10 percent and true (adenomatous) polyps are seen in 4-5 percent.
What are the causes of gallbladder polyps?
The exact cause of the development of gallbladder polyps is unknown; however, according to clinical studies, factors such as age, gender, diabetes and obesity may be effective in the development of polyps. It is generally seen in women around the age of 40. Additionally, fat metabolism and genetic factors may also lead to polyp development.
What are the symptoms of gallbladder polyps?
Gallbladder polyps usually do not cause symptoms; However, in cases where they show symptoms, discomfort in the upper right part of the abdomen, bloating, nausea and complaints that increase due to eating may be observed.
How are gallbladder polyps diagnosed?
Gallbladder polyps are usually detected incidentally while investigating other diseases. Non-invasive imaging methods such as abdominal ultrasound, computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) and endoscopic ultrasonography, which is a minimally invasive radiological method, are used for diagnosis.
How are gallbladder polyps treated?
Treatment of gallbladder polyps is planned according to the size of the polyp determined by ultrasound. Gallbladder polyps larger than 20 mm must be operated on as soon as possible, considering the risk of cancer. Polyps between 10-20mm are considered “cancer suspicious”. Therefore, the gallbladder is surgically removed; However, approximately 90 percent of gallbladder polyps are less than 10 mm. If there are signs of gallbladder inflammation such as bloating, pain, nausea, and fever after meals, the gallbladder is surgically removed.
Polyps that are less than 5 mm in size and do not cause any complaints are checked with ultrasonography every 6 months. If no growth is observed, these checks are performed annually. If it shows signs of growth or if symptoms of inflammation develop, then surgical removal is considered.