A 45-year-old woman with no past medical history presents to the emergency department with right upper quadrant pain that started about 10 hours ago, shortly after dinner. This time, the pain hasn't subsided and has been constant since it started.

Discover how point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can aid in the bedside evaluation of acute cholecystitis. Through a real clinical case, learn the classic ultrasound findings, differentiate cholecystitis from biliary colic, recognize common imaging pitfalls, and understand the evidence supporting gallbladder POCUS.

A 42-year-old female presents to her primary care clinic with intermittent, crampy abdominal pain for four months. The pain typically follows fatty meals, occasionally radiates to her right shoulder, and can last for several hours. She denies fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. Vital signs are normal. On exam, she has mild tenderness to palpation in the right upper quadrant without rebound or guarding. There is no jaundice, and laboratory studies, including AST and ALT, are within normal limits.