A gallbladder polyp is a lesion that projects from the gallbladder wall into the lumen. On ultrasound, polyps appear as echogenic, non-shadowing, non-mobile projections from the gallbladder wall, distinguishing them from gallstones, which are mobile and produce acoustic shadows. Most gallbladder polyps are small, benign cholesterol polyps, but adenomatous polyps carry a risk of malignant transformation. Current guidelines generally recommend cholecystectomy for polyps larger than 10 millimeters due to the increased cancer risk, while smaller polyps are typically monitored with serial ultrasound examinations to check for growth.
Sonography Term