Concretions composed of cholesterol, bile pigments, and calcium salts, formed in the bile duct of the gallbladder when the bile becomes supersaturated.
A solid or semi-solid body in the gall bladder or bile duct.
The presence of stones in the gallbladder.
Hard, calcium compounds formed in the gallbladder or bile duct, gall.
A condition in which gallstones form in the gall bladder or bile ducts.
A small stone formed from insoluble deposits from bile in the gall bladder.
Presence or formation of gallstones.
Gallstones develop when the bile salts and cholesterol accumulate in the gallbladder. With time, the cholesterol precipitates out, providing a crystalline structure for the stone. Since the bile also contains a variety of minerals, these minerals form salts with the bile acids and are deposited within and around the cholesterol matrix. Eventually these stones irritate the lining of the gallbladder or may lodge themselves in the duct connecting the bladder to the duodenum. When this happens, the bladder becomes inflamed, the duct may be blocked, and the patient becomes unable to tolerate food. In some cases, treatment consists of reducing the irritation and inflammation through drugs, but often the patient has the gallbladder and its offending stones removed.
Presence of gallstones in the gallbladder, which may cause no symptoms or cause vague abdominal discomfort, flatulence, and intolerance to certain foods. If severe pain or obstruction and inflammation occur, cholecystectomy is recommended.
Stonelike mass (calculus) in the gallbladder or in its duct.
Gallstones in the gallbladder or bile ducts; attack of abdominal pain caused by colonic spasms.
Hard masses made primarily of cholesterol that can develop in the gallbladder where BILE is Stored. Gallstones usually result from an imbalance in the chemical composition of bile. They range in size from a grain of sand to the size of a golf ball. Most are composed primarily of cholesterol, a fatlike substance that is excreted by the liver. Excess dietary cholesterol may be a factor in stone formation. A smaller proportion of stones are made up of bilirubin and calcium salts.
A hard mass composed of bile pigments, cholesterol, and calcium salts, in varying proportions, that can form in the gall bladder. The formation of gallstones (cholelithiasis) occurs when the physical characteristics of bile alter so that cholesterol is less soluble or through chronic inflammation of the gall bladder. Gallstones may exist for many years without causing symptoms. However, they may cause severe pain or they may pass into the common bile duct and cause obstructive jaundice or cholangitis. Gallstones containing calcium may be seen on a plain X-ray (opaque stones), but if their calcium content is low they can be seen only by cholecystography. Cholelithiasis is usually treated by surgical removal of the gall bladder or occasionally of the stones themselves.
Gallstones are solid masses that form in the gallbladder, a pouch located beneath the liver where bile is stored, or in the bile ducts, the channels that link the gallbladder and liver to the duodenum. The majority of gallstones are composed of cholesterol and bile pigments, which are byproducts of red blood cell breakdown.
Gallstones form as a result of an imbalance in the chemical makeup of bile. While rare in children, their occurrence becomes progressively more common as individuals age. Women are more likely to develop gallstones than men. A diet high in fat and being overweight are risk factors for gallstone development.
Many gallstones do not cause any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they often begin when a stone blocks the outlet of the gallbladder. This can result in biliary colic, characterized by severe pain in the upper right region of the abdomen or between the shoulder blades, as well as nausea, indigestion, and sometimes flatulence. Potential complications include cholecystitis, which is inflammation of the gallbladder, and obstruction of the bile duct.
Gallstones are typically diagnosed through methods such as ultrasound scanning, X-ray oral cholecystography, or cholangiography.
Gallstones that do not cause symptoms are typically left untreated. In cases where symptoms do occur, surgical removal of the gallbladder and stones, known as cholecystectomy, may be performed. In some instances, ultrasonic shock waves are employed to break gallstones into smaller pieces, which then pass into the intestines without causing any additional issues. Medications like ursodeoxycholic acid can dissolve some gallstones over several months, although new stones may form once the treatment is discontinued.