Introduction to Gallbladder Disease
The term "gallbladder disease" is used for several types of conditions that can affect your gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped sac located underneath your liver. Your gallbladder’s main function is to store the bile produced by your liver and pass it along to the small intestine. Bile helps you digest fats in your small intestine.

The majority of gallbladder diseases are caused by inflammation due to irritation of the gallbladder wall, which is known as cholecystitis. This inflammation is often due to gallstones blocking the ducts leading to the small intestine and causing bile to build up. It may eventually lead to necrosis (tissue destruction) or gangrene. Other diseases of the gallbladder include gallbladder polyps and gallbladder cancer.

Types of Gallbladder Disease
1. Sclerosing Cholangitis
Inflammation, scarring, and damage to the bile ducts is referred to as sclerosing cholangitis. It’s unknown what causes the disease. People with sclerosing cholangitis may have an enlarged liver or spleen along with a decrease in appetite and weight loss.

2. Abscess of the Gallbladder
Abscess of the gallbladder results when an area of the body becomes inflamed with pus. Pus is the accumulation of white blood cells, dead tissue, and bacteria. It may present with upper right-sided pain in the abdomen.

3. Gallstones
Gallstones develop when substances in the bile (such as cholesterol, bile salts, and calcium) form hard particles that block the passageway to the gallbladder.

4. Cholecystitis
Cholecystitis is the most common type of gallbladder disease. It presents itself as either an acute or chronic inflammation of the gallbladder.

5. Choledocholithiasis
Gallstones may become lodged in the neck of the gallbladder or in the bile ducts. When the gallbladder is plugged in this way, bile can’t exit. This may lead to the gallbladder becoming inflamed or distended. The plugged bile ducts will further prevent bile from traveling from the liver to the intestines.