Cholecystitis
Cholecystitis: Inflammation of the gallbladder. Cholecystitis is a complication of gallstones, and it is frequently associated with infection in the gallbladder. Risk factors for cholecystitis include age, obesity, female gender, multiple pregnancies, use of birth control pills, and heredity. The most common symptom is pain in the upper abdomen, although some patients have no symptoms. Diagnosis can be made with ultrasound of the abdomen. Surgery (standard or laparoscopic) is considered for patients with severe cholecystitis. In some mild cases, medication may be used instead to treat
the infection and inflammation and to dissolve the gallstones.
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Cholecystokinin: Abbreviated CCK. A polypeptide hormone that stimulates the contraction of the gallbladder with release of bile and the secretion of pancreatic enzymes into the small intestine. CCK is secreted by cells lining the upper intestine and by the hypothalamus. Hypothalamic cholecystokinin is a neurotransmitter. Called also pancreozymin.
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Cholelithiasis: 1. The presence of stones in the gallbladder. 2. The process of formation of such stones. From the Greek roots chole, bile + lithos, stone.
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A diagnostic test in which a two-dimensional picture of a radiation source in the biliary system is obtained through the use of radioisotopes. The test is used to examine the biliary system and diagnose obstruction of the bile ducts (for example, by a gallstone or a tumor), disease of the gallbladder, and bile leaks.