Biliary dyskinesiais a condition of thegallbladder.
The gallbladder stores a digestive enzyme called bile.
Bile is used to help break down ingested fat for proper absorption in the small intestine.
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When you have biliary dyskinesia, your gallbladder has trouble moving bile through bile ducts and into your intestine.
Biliary dyskinesia usually affects older children and adults.
In some hospitals, it’s the number one reason for gallbladder removal procedures.
This article discusses the symptoms and causes of biliary dyskinesia.
It also covers how it’s diagnosed and treated and what to expect for a prognosis.
Symptoms of Biliary Dyskinesia
Biliary dyskinesia is considered a functional disorder.
This means that normal functioning of the bodyin this case, normal digestionis disrupted.
Under medical examination, there does not appear to be any abnormality.
Therefore, symptoms are largely subjective or based on reports from the patient.
Patients diagnosed with biliary dyskinesia often complain of unexplained pain in theright upper quadrantof the abdomen.
It could also be brought on by a problem with the gallbladder itself.
Biliary dyskinesia occurs mostly in older children and adults.
It is a common diagnosis in children.
In some pediatric hospitals, biliary dyskinesia has become the most common reason for gallbladder removal.
Biliary dyskinesia is sometimes associated with a condition calledcholecystitis, a long-term condition involving inflammation of the gallbladder.
These criteria include:
There are two diagnostic tests that may be used to evaluate for biliary dyskinesia.
The tracer travels to the liver, where the livers bile-producing cells take up the tracer.
Next, the tracer travels into the gallbladder through the bile ducts.
Computer images are taken as a nuclear medicine scanner tracks the flow of the tracer.
A HIDA scan is used to evaluate for gallbladder abnormalities when no gallstones are seen on ultrasound.
Upper Endoscopy
An upper endoscopy is a procedure that is usually performed on an outpatient basis.
Before a cholecystectomy is performed, every person with symptoms of biliary dyskinesia should have complete lab studies.
Bile is a digestive enzyme that helps break down fat so it can be absorbed in the small intestine.
Your healthcare provider may suspect biliary dyskinesia based on symptoms and a normal ultrasound of the gallbladder.
A HIDA scan and upper endoscopy may be done to help confirm the diagnosis.
For symptoms that don’t resolve, your healthcare provider may recommend surgery to remove the gallbladder.
Studies show that surgery can be an effective treatment in 80% to 90% of cases.
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