Gastrointestinal tract gallbladder

Gallbladder carcinoma is diagnosed approx 5000 times a year in the United States, making it the most common biliary tract cancer and fifth most common gastrointestinal tract cancer. Also, approx 4500 cases of bile duct cancer occur each year in the United States. Women are more commonly afflicted than men, with a female-to-male ratio of 2.7 1.0. The median age at presentation of gallbladder cancer is 73 yr. In addition, an incidence five to six times that in the general population is seen in southwestern Native Americans, Mexicans, Hispanics, and Alaskans. 

Ectopic pancreas is described as the presence of pancreatic tissue without an anatomic or vascular connection with the pancreatic body. This ectopic tissue maybe localized anywhere in or outside of the gastrointestinal tract. Common sites in the gastrointestinal tract are the stomach, duodenum, and the proximal jejunum, and less commonly in the appendix, the diverticulum of Meckel in 5% of cases, or the ileum in just 1% of cases. Extraintestinal localization, such as in the wall of the gallbladder, the bile ducts in the liver, the hilum of the spleen, the omentum, the perigastric or periduodenal area, may be seen in only 4% of cases (Gazelle et al. 1998). 

The European monograph suggests use of the oil, only under the direction of a physician, for bile duct and gallbladder inflammation and gallstones also for spasms of the upper gastrointestinal tract, flatulence, symptomatic treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, and catarrh of the respiratory tract. External use includes oral mucosa inflammations, rheumatic conditions, and local muscle and nerve pain, as well as skin conditions such as pruritus and urticaria (escop 3). 

Peppermint leaf and oil are subjects of German therapeutic monographs leaves in infusion, or extract for spastic complaints of the gastrointestinal tracts as well as gallbladder and bile ducts, at average daily dose of 3-6 g of the leaves 5-15 g tincture. ... 

Squalamine is present in most tissues of S. acanthias, but primarily in the stomach and gallbladder, organs that also produce bile sterols. Its concentration is relatively low 4-7 pg g tissue in the gastrointestinal tract, which is the structure richest in squalamine. The presence of squalamine in almost all tissues of the animal suggests that this steroid is used as a natural antibiotic, protecting against bacterial infection. Squalamine may also prevent tumors because it has been thought that cancers do not occur in sharks, but this hypothesis has been refuted (Petit, 2004 Ostrander et al, 2004). 

Because octreotide inhibits many other gastrointestinal hormones, it has a variety of intestinal side effects. With prolonged use, gallbladder and biliary tract complications such as cholelithiasis have been reported. About 5% to 10% of patients complain of nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Local injection pain occurs with about an 8% incidence. With high doses, octreotide may reduce dietary fat absorption, leading to steatorrhea. 

Functional ultrasound of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract includes studies of the distal and proximal stomach, gastric and gallbladder emptying, gastric distribution, Gl wall motility, and flow of luminal contents in healthy subjects as well as in patients. Furthermore, it includes the effect of different meals and pharmacological intervention. 

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