Gallstones – Diagnosis

Transcript

Your doctor will first check you for any changes in skin color or the whites of your eyes to help them diagnose a case of gallstones. If either has developed a yellowish tint, it may be a sign of jaundice, which in turn may indicate that you have too much bilirubin in your system. They can also check how much bilirubin is in your body by sending you for blood tests. This can also determine how well your liver is functioning. If they suspect you to have gallstones, they will probably use one or more diagnostic tests to look at what is happening inside your body. The initial preferred method for most doctors is to do an ultrasound of your abdomen. This scan can show your doctor if there are any abnormalities that are commonly associated with gallstones. Depending on the findings on the ultrasound, a more diagnostic test that may be performed is an MRI or MRCP. This will give a clear visualization of the biliary tree. In some instances, they may choose to send you for a gallbladder radio nuclide scan, or also known as a HIDA scan. In this scan, a specialist will inject a radioactive substance into your veins, which will travel through your body to your liver and gallbladder. Once there, it can show if there are gallstone blockages of the bile ducts, and if there’s any infection.