What is a collapsed gallbladder mean?

It depends: You are probably referring to a 'contracted' gallbladder. This can occur physiologically after a high fat meal or subsequent to intravenous hormone stimulation whereby the gallbladder empties and becomes smaller. The second situation is when the gallbladder is diseased - especially when there has been inflammation and scarring, and the gallbladder becomes smaller - i.e. Contracted.

Can be: A common normal finding that could indicate eating too soon before the ultrasound, if there are no gallstones present. With gallstones this could indicate empty non-functional gallbladder from chronic cholecystitis.

Several things: Gall bladder collapse is usually seen by ultrasound exam. Contracted or collapsed gallbladder can refer gb response following meal, ingestion of fat or injection intravenously of the hormone(cck) that is responsible for causing the gallbladder to contract. Inflammation due to gallstones can result in scarring of the gallbladder. Scarring causes the gallbladder to be contracted.