ABSTRACT
This chapter defines the most common arrangement of the gross anatomy of the gallbladder, including its relations and vascular anatomy, gives a short account of its microscopic structure, and describes the appearance of these structures when imaged by different modalities. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped, hollow viscus that is connected to the extrahepatic biliary tree by the cystic duct. The arterial supply of the gallbladder emanates from the cystic artery, most commonly a branch of the right hepatic artery. The normal anatomy of the gallbladder may be demonstrated using the imaging techniques that have been developed to examine diseases of the gallbladder. These include oral cholecystography, sonography, scintigraphy, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These complementary modalities reveal different aspects of the gallbladder to advantage. CT differentiates the wall and contents of the normal gallbladder. As with oral cholecystography, MRI primarily images the contents of the normal gallbladder, but lacks the resolution of oral cholecystography.
