Tests
The diagnosis and treatment of gallstones may involve a range of
different tests, from blood tests, to scans and more invasive
procedures.
Blood tests
After asking you about your symptoms and examining you, your
doctor will likely ask you to have some blood tests. These are
performed to look for different causes of pain as well as for
problems associated with gallstones. Key blood tests include liver
function tests, markers of infection or inflammation, and markers
of problems such as pancreatitis. In simple cases of gallstones,
all of these tests may be normal. However, if gallstones have
caused inflammation of the gallbladder, or if a stone has moved
from the gallbladder into the bile duct, you may develop abnormal
blood tests which your doctor can then use to decide on what
further tests and treatment may be required.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a widely available, simple and non-invasive test
to look for gallstones. It involves a trained healthcare
professional applying jelly to your abdomen to allow pictures to be
obtained of your gallbladder to determine whether you have
gallstones. It is also used to look at the liver, bile ducts and
other organs in the abdomen. Some patients may not need any further
tests before planning treatment. However, sometimes, other imaging
tests are required.
MRCP
MRCP is the short name for a special type of MRI scan, called a
Magnetic Resonance Cholangio-Pancreatogram. This is a useful test
to look for any gallstones that may have moved from the gallbladder
and become lodged in the bile duct. An MRCP involves lying flat on
a firm and relatively narrow bed which then moves into a tunnel to
use a high-powered magnet to obtain pictures of your insides. If
you have claustrophobia, you may not be able to have this test. In
addition, the machine can be quite noisy, and you will be provided
with ear plugs. You also cannot have this test if you have certain
pieces of metal in your body, such as certain pacemakers, or
shrapnel. You will have to complete a questionnaire before having
this scan to check it is safe for you.
Endoscopic ultrasound
Sometimes, patients require a more invasive form of ultrasound
to examine for small gallstones or stones in the bile duct. This is
called an Endoscopic UltraSound or EUS. This procedure is performed
under sedation in the endoscopy department. A telescope with a very
small ultrasound probe on the end is passed through the mouth into
the stomach and duodenum to get close up pictures of the
gallbladder and bile ducts. As this is an invasive test and
therefore has small risks associated with the procedure, it is
performed much less frequently than the above tests.
