Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsFormationAre They Cancerous?DiagnosisRemovalTreatment OptionsCholecystectomy RisksMonitoring
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Formation
Are They Cancerous?
Diagnosis
Removal
Treatment Options
Cholecystectomy Risks
Monitoring
Most people with gallbladder polyps do not experience any symptoms at all. In the majority of cases, gallbladder polyps are found incidentally, meaning that they’re discovered while undergoing tests for another reason.
How Gallbladder Polyps Form
While anyone can have them, the following risk factors may make it more likely for gallbladder polyps to develop:
How to Know If Gallbladder Polyps Are Cancerous
Most gallbladder polyps are not cancerous or even harmful to your health. Some risk factors have been identified to determine if the small percentage of polyps are precancerous or cancerous, such as:
Your healthcare provider may also suspect that you havegallbladder cancerif you have any relevant symptoms. These may include the above signs of cholecystitis, as well as:
How Providers Diagnose Gallbladder Polyps
Gallbladder polyps are diagnosed through imaging techniques, often while you’re being assessed for another health condition.
Typically, the best technique for diagnosing gallbladder polyps is viaabdominal ultrasound. Your healthcare provider may also recommend that you undergo anendoscopic ultrasound(EUS) for additional accuracy in determining the size, shape, location, and number of your polyps.
What Size Qualifies for Removal?
Your healthcare provider might recommend surgery, (cholecystectomy, gallbladder removal) if your gallbladder polyps are 10 mm or larger. Gallbladder removal may be recommended in the following circumstances:
Most gallbladder polyps do not require treatment. If they are suspected (or found) to be precancerous or malignant, the main treatment available is a cholecystectomy.
Gallbladder removal is performed for many different reasons, including gallstones and cholecystitis. The most common type of cholecystectomy is minimally invasive and involves onlylaparoscopicsurgery. The gallbladder isn’t necessary for survival, so you won’t typically have to do anything atypical to maintain your health after having it removed.
Gallbladder Polyps and GallstonesCertain kinds of gallbladder polyps are highly associated withgallstones.Gallstones are hardened deposits of bile or cholesterol that may block your bile duct and lead to health complications.If you have both gallbladder polyps and gallstones, your healthcare provider may be more likely to recommend surgical treatment than if you have polyps alone.
Gallbladder Polyps and Gallstones
Certain kinds of gallbladder polyps are highly associated withgallstones.Gallstones are hardened deposits of bile or cholesterol that may block your bile duct and lead to health complications.If you have both gallbladder polyps and gallstones, your healthcare provider may be more likely to recommend surgical treatment than if you have polyps alone.
Understanding Cholecystectomy Risks
As with any surgery, there are risks associated with a cholecystectomy. Potential risks of gallbladder removal include:
Gallbladder Polyps: When to Wait and When to ActNot all healthcare providers agree on the existing guidelines about the necessity of cholecystectomy for gallbladder polyps. One 2020 retrospective analysis found that only about 3% of people who undergo a cholecystectomy end up having “true” gallbladder polyps. Due to the risks associated with surgery, your healthcare provider may recommend that you wait to undergo treatment for gallbladder polyps. This decision may be related to the size of your polyps and your medical history, as well as any risk factors you have for gallbladder cancer.
Gallbladder Polyps: When to Wait and When to Act
Not all healthcare providers agree on the existing guidelines about the necessity of cholecystectomy for gallbladder polyps. One 2020 retrospective analysis found that only about 3% of people who undergo a cholecystectomy end up having “true” gallbladder polyps. Due to the risks associated with surgery, your healthcare provider may recommend that you wait to undergo treatment for gallbladder polyps. This decision may be related to the size of your polyps and your medical history, as well as any risk factors you have for gallbladder cancer.
After your initial diagnosis, some polyps may prompt ongoing monitoring and follow-up. Gallbladder polyps that are smaller than 5 mm across typically don’t require follow-up.
However, your healthcare provider may request that you return for furtherultrasounds, typically at the six-month, one-year, and two-year marks, if your polyps are in the “borderline” range of 6 to 9 mm or have additional risk factors for malignancy. If your polyps grow significantly in that time, a cholecystectomy may be recommended. If they disappear or don’t get any bigger, you may not need any more follow-up visits.
Summary
Gallbladder polyps refer to abnormal growths that develop on the gallbladder, an organ that aids in the digestive process through the production and release of bile. They’re typically benign (noncancerous). For most people, they don’t cause symptoms. Instead, they’re usually found incidentally via ultrasound.
In rare cases, gallbladder polyps may be malignant or precancerous. If so, your healthcare provider might recommend a cholecystectomy – surgery to remove the gallbladder. Current guidelines recommend that gallbladder polyps that are 10 mm across or larger be surgically removed.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Gallbladder diseases.McCain RS, Diamond A, Jones C, Coleman HG.Current practices and future prospects for the management of gallbladder polyps: A topical review.World J Gastroenterol. 2018;24(26):2844-2852. doi:10.3748/wjg.v24.i26.2844Metman MJH, Olthof PB, van der Wal JBC, et al.Clinical relevance of gallbladder polyps; is cholecystectomy always necessary?HPB (Oxford). 2020;22(4):506-510. doi:10.1016/j.hpb.2019.08.006MedlinePlus.Acute cholecystitis.Andrén-Sandberg A.Diagnosis and management of gallbladder polyps.N Am J Med Sci. 2012;4(5):203-11. doi:10.4103/1947-2714.95897MedlinePlus.Colonic polyps.Foley KG, Lahaye MJ, Thoeni RF, et al.Management and follow-up of gallbladder polyps: Updated joint guidelines between the ESGAR, EAES, EFISDS and ESGE.Eur Radiol. 2022;32(5):3358-3368. doi:10.1007/s00330-021-08384-wAmerican Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of gallbladder cancer. Last updated: July 12, 2018.National Health Service.Gallbladder removal. Last updated: December 8, 2021.Taskin OC, Bellolio E, Dursun N, et al.Non-neoplastic polyps of the gallbladder: A clinicopathologic analysis of 447 cases.Am J Surg Pathol. 2020;44(4):467-476. doi:10.1097/PAS.0000000000001405National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for gallstones.National Health Service.Gallbladder removal - complications.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Gallbladder diseases.McCain RS, Diamond A, Jones C, Coleman HG.Current practices and future prospects for the management of gallbladder polyps: A topical review.World J Gastroenterol. 2018;24(26):2844-2852. doi:10.3748/wjg.v24.i26.2844Metman MJH, Olthof PB, van der Wal JBC, et al.Clinical relevance of gallbladder polyps; is cholecystectomy always necessary?HPB (Oxford). 2020;22(4):506-510. doi:10.1016/j.hpb.2019.08.006MedlinePlus.Acute cholecystitis.Andrén-Sandberg A.Diagnosis and management of gallbladder polyps.N Am J Med Sci. 2012;4(5):203-11. doi:10.4103/1947-2714.95897MedlinePlus.Colonic polyps.Foley KG, Lahaye MJ, Thoeni RF, et al.Management and follow-up of gallbladder polyps: Updated joint guidelines between the ESGAR, EAES, EFISDS and ESGE.Eur Radiol. 2022;32(5):3358-3368. doi:10.1007/s00330-021-08384-wAmerican Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of gallbladder cancer. Last updated: July 12, 2018.National Health Service.Gallbladder removal. Last updated: December 8, 2021.Taskin OC, Bellolio E, Dursun N, et al.Non-neoplastic polyps of the gallbladder: A clinicopathologic analysis of 447 cases.Am J Surg Pathol. 2020;44(4):467-476. doi:10.1097/PAS.0000000000001405National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for gallstones.National Health Service.Gallbladder removal - complications.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Gallbladder diseases.McCain RS, Diamond A, Jones C, Coleman HG.Current practices and future prospects for the management of gallbladder polyps: A topical review.World J Gastroenterol. 2018;24(26):2844-2852. doi:10.3748/wjg.v24.i26.2844Metman MJH, Olthof PB, van der Wal JBC, et al.Clinical relevance of gallbladder polyps; is cholecystectomy always necessary?HPB (Oxford). 2020;22(4):506-510. doi:10.1016/j.hpb.2019.08.006MedlinePlus.Acute cholecystitis.Andrén-Sandberg A.Diagnosis and management of gallbladder polyps.N Am J Med Sci. 2012;4(5):203-11. doi:10.4103/1947-2714.95897MedlinePlus.Colonic polyps.Foley KG, Lahaye MJ, Thoeni RF, et al.Management and follow-up of gallbladder polyps: Updated joint guidelines between the ESGAR, EAES, EFISDS and ESGE.Eur Radiol. 2022;32(5):3358-3368. doi:10.1007/s00330-021-08384-wAmerican Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of gallbladder cancer. Last updated: July 12, 2018.National Health Service.Gallbladder removal. Last updated: December 8, 2021.Taskin OC, Bellolio E, Dursun N, et al.Non-neoplastic polyps of the gallbladder: A clinicopathologic analysis of 447 cases.Am J Surg Pathol. 2020;44(4):467-476. doi:10.1097/PAS.0000000000001405National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for gallstones.National Health Service.Gallbladder removal - complications.
MedlinePlus.Gallbladder diseases.
McCain RS, Diamond A, Jones C, Coleman HG.Current practices and future prospects for the management of gallbladder polyps: A topical review.World J Gastroenterol. 2018;24(26):2844-2852. doi:10.3748/wjg.v24.i26.2844
Metman MJH, Olthof PB, van der Wal JBC, et al.Clinical relevance of gallbladder polyps; is cholecystectomy always necessary?HPB (Oxford). 2020;22(4):506-510. doi:10.1016/j.hpb.2019.08.006
MedlinePlus.Acute cholecystitis.
Andrén-Sandberg A.Diagnosis and management of gallbladder polyps.N Am J Med Sci. 2012;4(5):203-11. doi:10.4103/1947-2714.95897
MedlinePlus.Colonic polyps.
Foley KG, Lahaye MJ, Thoeni RF, et al.Management and follow-up of gallbladder polyps: Updated joint guidelines between the ESGAR, EAES, EFISDS and ESGE.Eur Radiol. 2022;32(5):3358-3368. doi:10.1007/s00330-021-08384-w
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of gallbladder cancer. Last updated: July 12, 2018.
National Health Service.Gallbladder removal. Last updated: December 8, 2021.
Taskin OC, Bellolio E, Dursun N, et al.Non-neoplastic polyps of the gallbladder: A clinicopathologic analysis of 447 cases.Am J Surg Pathol. 2020;44(4):467-476. doi:10.1097/PAS.0000000000001405
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for gallstones.
National Health Service.Gallbladder removal - complications.
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