With the gradual introduction of health screening, ultrasound is becoming more and more widely used for the diagnosis of gallbladder polyps. So what exactly is a gallbladder polyp? What should I do if I have a gallbladder polyp? Many people are anxious to know the answer.
First of all, what is a gallbladder polyp. In fact, its formal name should be gallbladder polyp-like lesions. The normal gallbladder is a small bag-like organ with a very thin wall, just 1 to 2 mm, which is also very flat and smooth. If, for some reason, a small bulge grows on the wall of the gallbladder into the gallbladder cavity, like a small mound on a flat surface, the ultrasonographer calls it a “gallbladder polyp-like lesion” or “gallbladder polyp”. Some books also refer to it as “gallbladder bulging lesion”. Before the widespread use of ultrasound, this lesion was mostly found on gallbladder resection specimens.
The most common type of gallbladder polyp is a cholesterol polyp, which is associated with a disorder of cholesterol metabolism. Cholesterol polyps are often multiple and small, mostly 3 to 5 mm, usually no more than 1 cm, and do not grow quickly. During observation, the number of polyps can vary. Some polyps may even fall off and be excreted with the bile. Occasionally, however, there is a single polyp with only one polyp, which can also be larger than 1 cm in diameter and is uncommon. Cholesterol polyps do not become malignant and turn into gallbladder cancer, but sometimes they can form gallbladder stones. If there are no conscious symptoms, no treatment is needed.
Secondly, inflammatory polyps are caused by chronic inflammation of the gallbladder, so they often occur in cases of gallbladder stones and chronic cholecystitis, and are not true tumors. It is the lesion causing the inflammatory polyp that needs to be treated, not the inflammatory polyp itself.
A true neoplastic polyp is a gallbladder adenoma, which has a certain rate of malignancy and requires vigilance. Polyp-like lesions of the gallbladder that generally have the following characteristics have a high probability of malignant transformation and require active treatment.
1, polyps larger than 1 cm in diameter.
2, single polyps.
3, polyps with a wide base.
4, complicated by gallbladder stones.
5, female patients.
6, polyps located in the neck of the gallbladder.
The above is a brief introduction to gallbladder polyps, and there are also some rare types of polyp-like lesions, which are too rare to be introduced.
The principles of treatment are as follows.
1, for multiple, less than 1 cm diameter polyps, no symptoms, no treatment is needed, as long as regular observation, usually every six months for ultrasound examination.
2. For single polyp, if the diameter is less than 1 cm, it should also be observed regularly, and if there is a tendency to increase, it needs to be treated surgically.
3. For patients with combined gallbladder stones, acute or chronic cholecystitis, gallbladder removal surgery should be done if there are self-conscious symptoms.
4. For single polyps larger than 1 cm in diameter, or polyps located in the neck of gallbladder (easily blocking the opening of gallbladder duct and causing cholecystitis), surgical removal of gallbladder should be considered regardless of whether there are symptoms or not.
5. If cancer is highly suspected, surgery should be actively performed.
Regarding drug treatment, it is not recommended because there is no effective drug that can eliminate polyps.
With the recent publicity of gallbladder preservation surgery, some people want to remove only the polyps and keep the gallbladder. However, because polyps grow on the wall of the gallbladder, the gallbladder itself is not large and many of them are diseased, there is no need to preserve them. Also removal of the gallbladder has no significant effect on the body.