Gallbladder polyps: what they are, symptoms and treatment

The polyps in the gallbladder or gallbladder polyp are abnormal growths of the gallbladder tissue, being discovered accidentally during an abdominal ultrasound and in the suelen to cause symptoms. These polyps can be classified as non-neoplastic or pseudopolyps, being these the most common, and as true or neoplastic polyps.

In general, the gastroenterologist will be able to indicate the performance of some routine abdominal ultrasounds, with the purpose of evaluating both the size and the number of polyps that exist and if they present some alteration or no. The time between a control and another will have to be determined by the treating physician, as this will depend on the size and on the person present or on the associated risk factors of malignancy.

If during routine evaluations the doctor identifies that the polyps are growing too fast, a surgery may be necessary to remove the gallbladder and prevent the development of biliary cancer. If the polyps remain of the same size, it is possible that no treatment will be carried out.

main symptoms

The polyps in the gallbladder do not cause associated symptoms, it is believed that the clinical manifestations that the person may present are due to other existing diseases such as cholecystitis, cholelithiasis or both, which can cause nausea, vomiting, pain in the right part of the abdomen the yellowish skin.

Similarly, in some cases, adenomas can manifest with abdominal pain on the right side of the abdomen fundamentally.

Types of gallbladder polyps

The polyps in the gallbladder can be classified in:

• In neoplastic the pseudopolypswhich are cholesterol, inflammatory and hyperplastic polyps, being these the most common and having no malignant potential;
• Neoplastic or truewhich are divided into benign, known as adenoma or adenomatous polyp, and malignant, such as adenocarcinomatous polyp, the latter being extremely rare.

Most of the polyps in the gallbladder are benign. However, some early carcinomas of suelen vesicle appear like polyps. In addition, there is also the possibility that an adenoma turns into an adenocarcinomatous polyp, which is why it is important to identify which type of polyp is present.

How is the treatment performed?

Treatment for polyps in the gallbladder will depend on the size they have, as those who are older than 10 mm are at risk of becoming cancer.

Therefore, in asymptomatic people with a polyp smaller than 10 mm detected, it is generally maintained under observation. However, if the person is asymptomatic but the polyp is larger than 10mm or if the person has stones in the gallbladder, the gastroenterologist can recommend a surgery to the patient to completely remove the gallbladder, called cholecystectomy, preventing the development of potentially lesions evil.

Find out how gallbladder surgery is performed.

Food to avoid pain

In cases where the polyps produce abdominal pain or are accompanied by stones in the gallbladder, it is important to adopt a diet that avoids gallbladder stimulation. This measure will not stop the polyps from reducing their size, it will simply keep this organ at rest to avoid pain and discomfort.

For that, you should follow a low-fat diet, avoiding the consumption of foods such as butter, butter, bacon, salsas, yellow cheeses, sausages, whole milk, wholesome yogurts, fried foods, pre-frozen foods (pizzas, nuggets, lasañas… .), fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and trucha, red meat cuts with visible grease, fast food, snacks and rellenas galletas, for example.

Find out how it should be in detail about food when you have gallbladder problems:

See more about the gallbladder diet.