A 15-year-old-boy with hereditary spherocytosis has had two episodes of colicky
ID: 187641 • Letter: A
Question
A 15-year-old-boy with hereditary spherocytosis has had two episodes of colicky right upper quadrant abdominalpain. Each episode lasted 2-3 days and then resolved. Ultrasound shows multiple small radio-opaque densities within the Gallbladder.Which of the following mechanisms is most likely responsible for the development of the densities?
Increased bilirubinproduction Decreased mucin production Abnormal gallbladder motility Supersaturation of bile with cholesterol Hyposecretion of bile acids into bileExplanation / Answer
The answer should be supersaturation of bile with cholesterol is the reason for the gallstones in the gallbladder showing multiple small opaque densities within the gall bladder.