liver and gallbladder disorders
Overview of Gallbladder and Bile Duct Disorders
Introduction
The liver produces bile, a greenish yellow, thick, sticky fluid. Bile aids digestion by making cholesterol, fats, and fat-soluble vitamins easier to absorb from the intestine. Bile also helps eliminate certain waste products (mainly bilirubin and excess cholesterol) and by-products of drugs from the body. The Gallbladder and Biliary Tract consists of small tubes (ducts) that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and then to the small intestine. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped sac located beneath the liver. It stores bile. When bile is needed, as when people eat, the gallbladder contracts, pushing bile through the bile ducts into the small intestine. The flow of bile can be blocked by the following: Gallstones that pass out of the gallbladder into the ducts Injury to the bile ducts during gallbladder surgery Narrowing of the bile ducts caused by factors such as Narrowing of the Bile Ducts Due to AIDS and Disorders of the pancreas, which can narrow the bile ducts as they pass through the pancreas Pancreatic Cancer , Overview of Parasitic Infections None If the bile ducts are blocked, the gallbladder may become inflamed ( Cholecystitis ). Biliary Pain Without Gallstones (acalculous biliary pain) can also occur. 