Cholesterol polyps, also known as gallbladder polyps, are growths in the gallbladder wall. Doctors commonly find these growths on ultrasounds or after removing part of a patient's bile ducts. After identify the polyps, the doctor will determine whether the growths are cancerous. However, most of these polyps are benign, made of cholesterol. Medical professionals also frequently mistake cholesterol polyps for gallbladder stones because both can cause the same symptoms.
Statistics
According to "Harrison's Gastroenterology and Hepatology," approximately 5 percent of adults have polypoid lesions of the gallbladder. Additionally, doctors find gallbladder polyps in 0.004 percent to 13.8 percent of removed gallbladders, and in 1.5 percent to 4.5 percent of gallbladders evaluated by ultrasounds. Further, the book says correlations do not exist between polyps and the patient's age, sex, weight, number of pregnancies, use of hormones or any other risk factors for gallstones.
Specifics of Cholesterol Polyps
The most common type of cholesterol polyps, also known as mucosal cholesterol polyps or polypoid cholesterolosis, are usually small, less than 10 mm in diameter, and occur multiple times within the gallbladder, according to "The Little Black Book of Gastroenterology." The most common location for cholesterol polyps is the middle of the gallbladder. Cholesterol polyps are not malignant, and do not become malignant. Medical professionals explain the presence of these polyps because of excessive amounts of cholesterol that accumulate beneath the surface of the gallbladder lining. Further, the book says, 50 percent to 70 percent of the time, cholesterol polyps have an association with gallbladder stones.
Why Do Cholesterol Polyps Appear?
According to "Harrison's Gastroenterology and Hepatology," cholesterol polyps commonly result from excess production of lipids and fats in your gallbladder's mucous membrane. Further, cells in your gallbladder responsible for removing excess materials, called macrophages, fail to metabolize or excrete cholesterol absorbed from your bile. The gallbladder has a certain capacity for absorbing cholesterol from your bile, and people with an excess of biliary cholesterol content have a higher risk of developing cholesterol polyps.
Symptoms
Cholesterol polyps may or may not produce symptoms. However, according to "Harrison's Gastroenterology and Hematology," if you do develop symptoms of cholesterol polyps, these symptoms are typically minor, and the most common symptom associated with this type of growth is mild abdominal pain.
References
- "The Little Black Book of Gastroenterology"; David W. Hay; 2010
- "Mayo Clinic Gastrointestinal Imaging Review"; C. Daniel Johnson and Grant D. Schmit; 2005
- "Harrison's Gastroenterology and Hepatology"; Dan Longo and Anthony Fauci; 2010
