Conditions our MRI scans have found

The gallbladder is a small organ located under the liver that stores bile, a substance that helps to break down fats. Sometimes polyps (small growths, usually with a stalk) form along the mucosal surface of the gallbladder; it is unclear what causes this to happen. Gallbladder polyps can cause symptoms similar to gallstones - pain in the right upper abdominal area after eating, especially with fatty meals.  Appropriate management and follow-up of gallbladder polyps depends on the size of the polyp.

The hepatic and common bile ducts are tubes that carry bile (fluid that helps the digestion of fats). Dilatation is the expansion or widening of the duct. Dilatation of the bile ducts can be due to several causes including early gallstones in the bile duct, obstruction of the common bile duct at the sphincter of Oddi, pregnancy, the presence of a cyst in the bile duct, and/or drugs (e.g. chronic opioid use). Symptoms, if present, could include right upper quadrant pain and/or jaundice (yellowing of the eyes/skin).

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side of the abdomen, just beneath the liver. Gallbladder wall thickening is a radiological term that is used to describe abnormal thickening of the gallbladder wall. Thickening of the gallbladder wall is a nonspecific finding (meaning it is difficult to say what caused it). It may occur as the result of various underlying conditions including chronic irritation and inflammation of the gallbladder (i.e. chronic cholecystitis), noncancerous conditions (e.g. hepatitis, pancreatitis, heart failure, renal failure), and gallbladder cancer.

Phrygian cap is the most common congenital (present at birth) anatomical variant of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is divided into 3 parts - the neck, body, and fundus. A phrygian cap is when the fundus folds back onto the gallbladder body. This occurs in approximately 4% of individuals and is a benign (non-cancerous and of no clinical significance) finding.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare, chronic (long-term) disease that slowly damages the bile ducts. Bile is a digestive liquid that is made in the liver. It travels through the bile ducts to the gallbladder and the small intestine, where it helps digest fats and fatty vitamins.

MRI images reflect surgery that involved placement of surgical clips to remove the gallbladder. No follow-up is indicated for this finding.