Anatomy
Abdomen
The gallbladder occupies which of the following regions of the abdomen:
Answer:
The gallbladder lies in the right hypochondrium.Gallbladder
Anatomy / Abdomen / Liver and Biliary Tract
Last Updated: 11th April 2019
Anatomical Position
The gallbladder is a pear-shaped sac lying on the visceral surface of the right lobe of the liver in a fossa between the right and quadrate lobes. It is an intraperitoneal structure and lies in the right hypochondrium.
Gallbladder. (Image by OpenStax College [CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)
Surface Marking
The gallbladder is located at the junction of the right ninth costal cartilage and the lateral border of the rectus abdominis muscle which is the site of maximal tenderness in the acute inflammation of the gallbladder.
Structure
The gallbladder has:
- a rounded end, the fundus, which may project from the inferior border of the liver
- a major part in the fossa, the body, which may lie against the transverse colon and the superior part of the duodenum
- and a narrow part, the neck, which tapers to become continuous with the cystic duct.
The neck contains a mucosal fold, known as Hartmann's pouch, which is a common site for gallstones to become lodged.
Relations
The gallbladder lies:
- posterior and inferior to the liver
- posterior to the anterior abdominal wall
- anterior to the transverse colon and the proximal duodenum
- superior to the biliary tree and the duodenum.
Innervation
Inflammation of the gallbladder may present with pain in the right upper quadrant and also in the right shoulder due to irritation of the diaphragmatic peritoneum. N.B. Pain arising from structures supplied by the phrenic nerve is often referred to other somatic regions served by spinal nerves C3 - C5.
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- Biochemistry
- Blood Gases
- Haematology
| Biochemistry | Normal Value |
|---|---|
| Sodium | 135 – 145 mmol/l |
| Potassium | 3.0 – 4.5 mmol/l |
| Urea | 2.5 – 7.5 mmol/l |
| Glucose | 3.5 – 5.0 mmol/l |
| Creatinine | 35 – 135 μmol/l |
| Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) | 5 – 35 U/l |
| Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) | < 65 U/l |
| Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) | 30 – 135 U/l |
| Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) | < 40 U/l |
| Total Protein | 60 – 80 g/l |
| Albumin | 35 – 50 g/l |
| Globulin | 2.4 – 3.5 g/dl |
| Amylase | < 70 U/l |
| Total Bilirubin | 3 – 17 μmol/l |
| Calcium | 2.1 – 2.5 mmol/l |
| Chloride | 95 – 105 mmol/l |
| Phosphate | 0.8 – 1.4 mmol/l |
| Haematology | Normal Value |
|---|---|
| Haemoglobin | 11.5 – 16.6 g/dl |
| White Blood Cells | 4.0 – 11.0 x 109/l |
| Platelets | 150 – 450 x 109/l |
| MCV | 80 – 96 fl |
| MCHC | 32 – 36 g/dl |
| Neutrophils | 2.0 – 7.5 x 109/l |
| Lymphocytes | 1.5 – 4.0 x 109/l |
| Monocytes | 0.3 – 1.0 x 109/l |
| Eosinophils | 0.1 – 0.5 x 109/l |
| Basophils | < 0.2 x 109/l |
| Reticulocytes | < 2% |
| Haematocrit | 0.35 – 0.49 |
| Red Cell Distribution Width | 11 – 15% |
| Blood Gases | Normal Value |
|---|---|
| pH | 7.35 – 7.45 |
| pO2 | 11 – 14 kPa |
| pCO2 | 4.5 – 6.0 kPa |
| Base Excess | -2 – +2 mmol/l |
| Bicarbonate | 24 – 30 mmol/l |
| Lactate | < 2 mmol/l |
