Diagnosis of gallstones
Doctors diagnose gallstones by using a number of tests, including:
general tests - such as physical examination and x-rays
ultrasound - soundwaves form a picture that shows the presence of gallstones
endoscope test - endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). A thin tube is passed through the oesophagus and injects dye into the bowel to improve the quality of x-ray pictures
hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan - a special type of nuclear scan that assesses how well the gallbladder functions
magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) - a form of the body-imaging technique magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The person’s liver, biliary and pancreatic system is imaged using an MRI unit. The image is similar to an ERCP test.