Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses, also entrapped epithelial crypts, are diverticula or pockets in the wall of the gallbladder

Gallbladder

In vertebrates the gallbladder is a small organ that aids mainly in fat digestion and concentrates bile produced by the liver. In humans the loss of the gallbladder is usually easily tolerated....

. They may be microscopic or macroscopic.

Histologically, they are outpouchings of gallbladder mucosa into the gallbladder muscle

Muscle

Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...

 layer.

They are not of themselves considered abnormal, but they can be associated with cholecystitis

Cholecystitis

-Signs and symptoms:Cholecystitis usually presents as a pain in the right upper quadrant. This is known as biliary colic. This is initially intermittent, but later usually presents as a constant, severe pain. During the initial stages, the pain may be felt in an area totally separate from the site...

.

Causes

They form as a result of increased pressure in the gallbladder and recurrent damage to the wall of the gallbladder. They are associated with gallstones (cholelithiasis).

External links

• Histology at University of Utah
  University of Utah
  The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...