The Cardio-Biliary Reflex in Gallbladder Disease: A Case Report and Literature Review.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Single clinical case report and narrative literature review
PubMed 41216055 · doi:10.7759/cureus.94272
What was done
The authors report a single clinical case of an elderly female presenting with simultaneous biliary colic and symptomatic sinus bradycardia, accompanied by a narrative literature review of the cardio-biliary reflex (Cope's sign).
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values. Pain management alone resolved the patient's symptomatic sinus bradycardia, indicating that vagally mediated cardio-biliary reflex secondary to biliary colic was the underlying driver.
Why it matters
It reminds clinicians that acute gallbladder pathology can trigger significant bradyarrhythmias mimicking primary cardiac disease, potentially avoiding unnecessary cardiac testing or invasive interventions.
Limits
This is a single-patient case report with no numerical data or formal systematic search protocol reported in the abstract. Causal inference is limited to clinical observation, and findings cannot estimate population prevalence or general diagnostic accuracy.
Cited by
- context Gallbladder congestion is associated with heart palpitations, and TUDCA can help alleviate this symptom.