The digestive system performs an important function - it provides us with vital functions. The digestive system organs are easy to learn compared to others, but a very big difficulty lies in ensuring their full functioning. There are still many poorly studied pathologies of the organs of this system. One of these pathological abnormalities is a disease called the Courvoisier symptom.
What is Courvoisier symptom?
Many experts can identify this symptom without any difficulties, because the clinical manifestations cannot be confused with anything. This disease is characterized by the presence of an enlarged gallbladder. The most amazing thing is that it is painless and also tense to the touch. Also an accompanying sign is jaundice. Very often, people simply do not pay attention to the appeared yellow skin tone and an increase in the internal organ. We are accustomed to the fact that if it does not hurt, then you should not worry. But the appearance of this symptom can inform us of many things.
Causes of the appearance of pathology
The symptom of Courvoisier is manifested as a result of blockage of the main duct of bile by a tumor near the large papilla of the duodenum (Vater's nipple) or by a tumor of the head of the pancreas. Most often, this tumor is malignant. From this we can conclude that the Courvoisier symptom is only a consequence of any underlying human disease. This condition of the body is not characteristic of a disease such as choledocholithiasis.
Why does the gall bladder not stretch?
An increase in the gallbladder and jaundice indicate abnormal functioning of the organ initially. When the Courvoisier-Terrier symptom appears, the reason for this may be not only a malignant tumor (although this happens in most cases). There may be stones in the gallbladder. Just at this stage, he becomes a hostage to himself. What is the matter, why this body is not stretched, providing the opportunity to exit bile, but simply clogged? Here the mechanism is as follows: the gallbladder itself becomes the "base" for the appearance of stones, at the same time as the formation of pathogenic elements, it suffers from chronic cholecystitis. As a result of this, fibro-cicatricial changes occur on the tissues of the bladder and lead to the fact that it becomes inflexible, inextensible. For this reason, at the slightest hindrance - a tumor or a stone - the gallbladder becomes clogged, and can no longer function fully.
What else can accompany this symptom?
The main characteristics of a person’s condition when he has a Courvoisier symptom are described above. But there is evidence of patient complaints of several other painful conditions. Many patients note that often itchy skin, sometimes a feeling of heaviness in the epigastric region and the right hypochondrium may appear. In addition, some patients say that conditions such as weakness and dark urine are present. All this is due to the running process of intoxication due to the closed passage of bile.
Combining all these conditions into one symptom, the specialist should also conduct clinical tests and tests for the presence of other symptoms. This is very important, as further treatment of a person will depend on this. Analyzes are made that determine the presence of such symptoms: Ortner, Georgievsky-Mussi, Murphy. If, after the results of the analyzes, their indicators are negative, then we are only talking about such a phenomenon as the Courvoisier symptom.
With the confirmation of the pathology, such therapeutic measures as cholecystectomy, transduodenal papillosphincterotomy, or choledochotomy can be carried out.