What symptom would you expect with cholelithiasis due to biliary obstruction?

Cholelithiasis, commonly known as gallstones, can lead to biliary obstruction when these stones block the bile ducts. One of the hallmark symptoms associated with this condition is sudden and intensifying pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. This pain is often described as a biliary colic, which occurs as the gallbladder attempts to contract against the obstruction.

When a gallstone obstructs the duct, it can lead to increased pressure within the gallbladder and biliary system, resulting in severe, sharp pain. This intense pain often radiates to the back or right shoulder and may occur after fatty meals when the gallbladder is stimulated to contract.

Symptoms such as mild abdominal pain, lower abdominal pain with vomiting, or vague pain in the epigastric region are not typical presentations of biliary obstruction associated with cholelithiasis. Mild pain may not correlate with the severity of the condition, vomiting can be caused by various gastrointestinal issues, and vague pain lacks the definitive characteristics usually seen in more severe gallbladder obstruction scenarios. Therefore, the most consistent and expected symptom of biliary obstruction due to cholelithiasis is indeed sudden, intense pain in the right upper quadrant.