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Body of gallbladder

The body of the gallbladder is the central portion of the gallbladder located between the fundus and the neck. It lies in contact with the visceral surface of the liver in the gallbladder fossa, where it is partially embedded in hepatic tissue. The body tapers toward the gallbladder neck, which leads into the cystic duct and ultimately the biliary tree.

The gallbladder body functions as a reservoir for bile, which is concentrated and stored until needed for digestion. During a meal, especially after fatty food intake, the gallbladder contracts under hormonal (cholecystokinin) and neural influence, releasing bile into the cystic duct → common bile duct → duodenum, aiding in fat emulsification and absorption.

Clinically, the gallbladder body is significant as it is the most common site for gallstones, gallbladder carcinoma, and chronic cholecystitis. Its proximity to the liver also means that pathology can spread directly into hepatic tissue.

Synonyms

  • Corpus vesicae felleae

  • Middle part of gallbladder

Function

  • Acts as a storage reservoir for bile

  • Concentrates bile through absorption of water and electrolytes

  • Contracts during digestion to release bile into duodenum

  • Plays a role in fat metabolism and digestion

Nerve Supply

  • Sympathetic fibers: Celiac plexus

  • Parasympathetic fibers: Vagus nerve

  • Sensory fibers: Right phrenic nerve (referred pain often to right shoulder)

Arterial Supply

  • Primarily from the cystic artery (branch of right hepatic artery)

  • Small contributions from hepatic parenchymal vessels adjacent to gallbladder fossa

Venous Drainage

  • Small cystic veins drain directly into the liver parenchyma (intrahepatic drainage)

  • Also into the portal vein system via cystic veins

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Gallbladder lumen normally appears low signal (dark) due to bile content

  • Gallbladder wall is thin and low-to-intermediate signal

  • Stones appear as signal voids

T2-weighted images:

  • Lumen is bright hyperintense due to fluid bile

  • Gallbladder wall remains hypointense; thickening suggests inflammation or tumor

  • Stones appear hypointense against bright bile

STIR:

  • Suppresses fat, improving delineation of the gallbladder wall

  • Wall thickening, edema, and pericholecystic fluid appear hyperintense

T1 Fat-Saturated (Pre-contrast):

  • Gallbladder wall and lumen appear more distinct from adjacent fat

  • Gallstones appear as signal voids within hypointense bile

T1 Fat-Saturated Post-Contrast (Gadolinium):

  • Normal gallbladder wall enhances thin and uniformly

  • Abnormal wall thickening shows heterogeneous or nodular enhancement in cholecystitis or carcinoma

  • Enhances delineation of pericholecystic inflammation

MRI Non-Contrast 3D (MRCP):

  • Provides high-resolution view of gallbladder lumen and biliary tree

  • Useful for stones, strictures, or anatomical variants

CT Appearance

CT Pre-Contrast:

  • Gallbladder appears as a fluid-attenuation structure in gallbladder fossa

  • Gallstones may appear hyperdense (calcified) or isodense (cholesterol stones, often occult)

CT Post-Contrast:

  • Gallbladder wall enhances thin and uniform if normal

  • Abnormal thickening and irregular enhancement suggest cholecystitis, carcinoma, or adenomyomatosis

  • Detects pericholecystic fluid, inflammatory stranding, and direct hepatic invasion

MRI images

Body of Gallbladder MRI coronal anatomy image -img-00000-00000

MRI images

Body of Gallbladder MRI sag anatomy image -img-00000-00000

CT images

Body of Gallbladder CT axial anatomy image -img-00000-00000

CT images

Body of Gallbladder CT coronal anatomy image -img-00000-00000

CT images

Body of Gallbladder CT coronal anatomy

MRI image

Body of gallbladder cornal image-img-00000-00000

MRI image

Body of gallbladder axial image-img-00000-00000