Gall bladder conditions

What are gall bladder conditions?

The gall bladder is a repository for bile, a digestive fluid that is produced in the liver. Stones can form in the gall bladder (this condition is known as gall stones or cholelithiasis). The gall bladder can become inflamed if a gall stone blocks the exit from the gall bladder (acute cholecystitis) or if there is chronic inflammation (chronic cholecystitis).

What are the complaints associated with gall bladder conditions?

In most cases, gall stones can remain in the gall bladder without causing symptoms. If they are small stones, they can also enter the intestine by themselves. They do sometimes cause symptoms: colic pain (sudden severe pain in the right upper abdomen resulting in an urge to move), nausea and vomiting.
A gall bladder inflammation is also accompanied by fever and general malaise.

People with intellectual disabilities sometimes find it impossible to communicate pain and nausea. The people around them may then notice only a change in behaviour.

How common are gall bladder conditions in the general population?

The prevalence of asymptomatic gall stones (in the age group of 20 to 69 years) is 13%. The male:female ratio is 1:2 here and prevalence increases with age. ³¹¹  Only a small proportion of these gall stones (20%) result in symptoms. In 50% of the people with symptomatic gall stones, the gall stones will cause complications (sometimes life-threatening) in time. That is why it is always advisable to treat patients with gall stones and abdominal complaints. ⁵⁶²

How common are gall bladder conditions in people with intellectual disabilities?

There are no figures about gall bladder conditions in people with intellectual disabilities.

However, it is known that children with Down syndrome have asymptomatic gall stones more often than children in the general population and that they have symptomatic gall bladder conditions more often in adulthood. ³¹²

Gall stones are relatively common in people with Rett syndrome and this diagnosis should be considered in people who complain about abdominal pain. ⁵⁶³