What Is the Cause of an Enlarged Gallbladder?
Conditions that can cause an enlarged bladder include cholecystitis and bladder cancer. Cholecystitis is the medical term for an inflamed or swollen gallbladder.
The gallbladder is a small organ that releases bile into the small intestine. If bile cannot pass from the gallbladder because of a blockage, then the gallbladder can become inflamed. Some other causes of this condition can be an infection, gallstones, tumor or injury. A complication of cholecystitis can be an enlarged gallbladder according to the Mayo Clinic.
Some symptoms of cholecystitis can be abdominal pain on the right side, vomiting and fever.
Gallbladder enlargement also can be a symptom of gallbladder cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Treatment is dependent on the cause and symptoms associated with an enlarged gallbladder. For example, in some cases, acute cholecystitis may require removal of the gallbladder. Only a doctor can diagnose properly an enlarged gallbladder and recommend treatment.
