Gallbladder

Description

Centered in an anterior, semi-transparent male torso, the gallbladder appears tucked in the right upper quadrant on the visceral surface of the liver, inferior to the right lobe and just lateral to the midline. Its fundus projects anteriorly toward the right costal margin, while the body and neck angle posteromedially toward the porta hepatis, where the cystic duct would join the common hepatic duct to form the common bile duct. Surrounding landmarks include the lower ribs and costal cartilages superiorly, the vertebral column posteriorly, and the iliac crests and pelvis inferiorly, all rendered in an x-ray style that keeps the biliary vesicle legible against the skeletal framework. Orientation is immediate. For teaching and clinical correlation, this frontal projection works well for mapping surface anatomy and pain referral patterns in biliary disease, including acute cholecystitis presenting with right upper quadrant tenderness near the tip of the ninth costal cartilage (Murphy sign). The relationship of the gallbladder neck to the extrahepatic biliary tree also sets up discussion of obstruction from cholelithiasis, where an impacted stone in the cystic duct can distend the gallbladder, while a stone at the ampulla can produce jaundice and gallstone pancreatitis. It also supports preoperative planning language for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, where understanding the gallbladder’s position relative to the liver edge helps frame safe dissection toward the hepatocystic triangle. Use this illustration in gross anatomy and gastrointestinal modules to anchor the biliary tract to palpable thoracoabdominal landmarks, or in surgical education materials introducing cholecystectomy, ERCP indications, and biliary obstruction pathways. Radiology and patient-facing publications can also repurpose the x-ray aesthetic to explain upper right quadrant symptoms without overloading organ detail. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.