What Is Biliary Colic?
Biliary colic refers to the right upper abdominal colic produced when gallstones are moved from the gallbladder to the gallbladder duct or gallbladder ampulla and incarcerated at the bile exit, causing contraction of the smooth muscle of the gallbladder or common bile duct. This disease is a common symptom of the digestive system and often occurs during the acute episode of cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. More women than men.
Basic Information
- Visiting department
- Gastroenterology
- Multiple groups
- More common in women
- Common causes
- Caused by diseases such as gallstones, cholecystitis, or biliary tapeworm
- Common symptoms
- Colic and paroxysmal aggravation in the costal region of the right upper quadrant
- Contagious
- no
Causes of biliary colic
- Biliary colic is often caused by diseases such as gallstones, cholecystitis, or biliary tapeworm. Obstruction of the biliary tract, at the same time, due to eating greasy food, etc., the contraction of the gallbladder is intensified, bile secretion is increased, and bile is not discharged smoothly and concentrated. The bile salt component in it stimulates the gallbladder mucosa and causes severe contraction pain.
Clinical manifestations of biliary colic
- Biliary colic mostly occurs within a few hours of a full meal or a high-fat diet. The main clinical manifestations are colic and paroxysmal aggravation in the right upper quadrant ribs. Most of the pain is located in the upper middle abdomen or right upper abdomen. At the beginning, there is persistent dull pain, which gradually worsens and even becomes intolerable. Pain can be sustained and can be reduced naturally. Patients often sit up and down, bend down, roll, and squeeze the abdomen; pain often radiates to the right scapula; pain is often accompanied by heavy sweating, pale, nausea, vomiting, muscle tension, Murphy's sign (gallbladder tenderness sign) was positive, and his white blood cell count increased.
Biliary colic
- Ultrasound examination of the abdomen can reveal imaging findings of gallstones and chronic cholecystitis, such as thickening of the gallbladder wall, dilatation of the gallbladder, and fluid leakage around the gallbladder. Elderly patients with biliary colic should routinely undergo an electrocardiogram to rule out myocardial ischemia or myocardial infarction.
Biliary colic diagnosis
- According to the history of biliary tract disease, the typical symptoms of biliary colic, combined with abdominal ultrasound examination can confirm the diagnosis.
Differential diagnosis of biliary colic
- Colic caused by gallbladder stones, sometimes the site is not typical, the pain can spread to the lower chest or left chest, elderly patients are easily misdiagnosed as myocardial ischemia or myocardial infarction. High acute appendicitis, right renal colic, and acute pancreatitis should also be distinguished from biliary colic.
Biliary colic treatment
- 1. General treatment to avoid eating greasy food, excessive fatigue and bad emotional stimulation. Every day when you fall asleep, take the lateral position. If biliary colic occurs at night, you should immediately change to the lateral position or sitting position, which is conducive to the relief of biliary colic. If pain persists, you should see your doctor promptly.
2. Drug treatment Drugs used in clinical relief of biliary colic include atropine, resorcinol, anisodamine, pethidine, tramadol, etc., and morphine should not be used.
3. Surgery for repeated episodes of biliary colic, and those with poor drug treatment should be treated in time.
Biliary colic prevention
- 1. Actively control and treat biliary diseases.
2. Avoid overeating, overeating, and not eating greasy foods, especially foods with high levels of animal fats and cholesterol.
3. Strengthen exercise and strengthen physical fitness.