What is a gallbladder polyp?
A gallbladder polyp is a small, abnormal growth of tissue with a stalk protruding from the lining of the inside of the gallbladder. They are relatively common.
The gallbladder is a small organ that stores bile and passes it from the liver to the small intestine.
Although gallbladder polyps can be cancerous (malignant), about 95 percent of gallbladder polyps are noncancerous (benign).
Gallbladder polyp size is often an indication of the presence of cancer:
Small gallbladder polyps — less than 1/2 inch in diameter — are typically benign and, in most cases, don’t need to be treated.
Gallbladder polyps larger than 1/2 inch in diameter have a greater likelihood of being or becoming malignant.
Gallbladder polyps larger than 3/4 inch have a high probability of being malignant.
Symptoms of gallbladder polyps:
In many cases, people with gallbladder polyps show no symptoms. There are, however, some people who complain of:
occasional pain in the right part of the upper abdomen (hypochondrium)
nausea
vomiting
Gallbladder polyps diagnosis:
Most gallbladder polyps are diagnosed while your doctor examines you for another, unrelated illness.
If your doctor is worried you have gallbladder polyps, they may do a test to diagnose the polyp and its size. Possible tests include:
abdominal ultrasound, which is noninvasive
endoscopic ultrasound, which is minimally invasive
It’s unclear what causes gallbladder polyps. StudiesTrusted Source to determine gallbladder polyp risk factors are not conclusive and don’t draw a clear relationship between gallbladder polyps and several factors, such as:
age
gender
medical condition, such as obesity or diabetes
There might be an association with fat metabolism and family genetics, but that is unproven.
Gallbladder polyps treatment:
Treating gallbladder polyps has to do with the size of the growth.
For polyps less than 1/2 inch in diameter, your doctor might schedule regular ultrasounds to monitor your growths for any changes that might indicate cancer. Your doctor may recommend abdominal or endoscopic ultrasounds.
For polyps larger than 1/2 inch in diameter, your doctor might recommend surgical removal of the gallbladder. This procedure is called a cholecystectomy. Many doctors recommend this course of treatment if you have both gallstones and gallbladder polyps.
Outlook:
polyps are common and 95 percent are noncancerous. Most gallbladder polyps are diagnosed during an examination performed for an unrelated illness. If you have gallbladder polyps, you likely won’t show any symptoms.
If you are diagnosed with gallbladder polyps, your doctor might recommend monitoring them with ultrasound examinations.If there is a high probability of cancer, or if you’ve had gallstones, your doctor may recommend removing your gallbladder surgically.
Mine is a bit less than a half an inch and I have no gallstones.....fuck it I`m training on Monday and scheduling regular ultrasound exams.
95 % are non - Cancerous......that`s good enough odds for me while I have them monitor whether it`s growing or not.
If it grows,and I can do the anasthesia (sp) I`ll have the Gall Bladder removed.
