Test and Diagnosis of Gallstones

Tests and procedures used to diagnose gallstones include:

• Tests to create pictures of your gallbladder. Your doctor may recommend an abdominal ultrasound or a computerized tomography (CT) scan to create pictures of your gallbladder. These images can be analyzed to look for signs of gallstones.
• Tests to check your bile ducts for gallstones. A test that uses a special dye to highlight your bile ducts on images may help your doctor determine whether a gallstone is causing a blockage. Tests may include a hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Gallstones discovered using ERCP can be removed during the procedure.
• Blood tests to look for complications. Blood tests may reveal an infection, jaundice, pancreatitis or other complications