The contraindications to surgical treatment of Mucocele of the gallbladder obviously would include any associated medical condition or illnesses that preclude surgery. No absolute contraindication exists. No single lab test is diagnostic of a mucocele. However, lab workup should include all tests done as for acute cholecystitis. A mild leukocytosis with a shift to the left is common.
Higher counts indicate the possibility of acute cholecystitis or infected bile.
Liver enzymes usually are normal, although a mild rise in alkaline phosphatase may be present. Ultrasonography, although entirely operator dependent, is extremely sensitive in detecting stones in the gallbladder. A grossly distended thin-walled gallbladder measuring over 5 cm across anteroposteriorly, an impacted stone in the infundibulum or neck of the gallbladder or in the cystic duct, and clear fluid content indicate a possible mucocele. Gross wall thickening and murky, thick fluid with sediments, and a pericholecystic collection suggest an empyema or pyocele of the gallbladder. Ultrasonography also is useful in identifying ductal obstruction and is extremely sensitive in identifying intrahepatic biliary tree dilatation.