Gallstone Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
In medicine, gallstones are crystalline bodies formed within the body by accretion or concretion of normal or abnormal bile components.Cholesterol stones are usually white or yellow in color and account for about 80 percent of gallstones. They are made primarily of cholesterol.
Pigment stones are small, dark stones made of bilirubin and calcium salts that are found in bile. They account for the other 20 percent of gallstones. Risk factors for pigment stones include cirrhosis, biliary tract infections, and hereditary blood cell disorders, such as sickle cell anemia. Stones of mixed origin also occur.
Gallstones can occur anywhere within the biliary tree, including the gallbladder and the common bile duct. Obstruction of the common bile duct is choledocholithiasis; obstruction of the biliary tree can cause jaundice; obstruction of the outlet of the pancreatic exocrine system can cause pancreatitis. Cholelithiasis is the presence of stones in the gallbladder - chole- means "gall bladder", lithia meaning "stone", and -sis means "process".
Gallstones vary in size and may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. The gallbladder may develop a single, often large, stone or many smaller ones, even several thousand.
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2 Medical options 3 Surgical options 4 External links |
Progress has been made in understanding the process of gallstone
formation. Researchers believe that gallstones may be caused by a
combination of factors, including inherited body chemistry, body weight,
gallbladder motility (movement), and perhaps diet.
Cholesterol gallstones develop when bile contains too much cholesterol
and not enough bile salts. Besides a high concentration of cholesterol,
two other factors seem to be important in causing gallstones. The first
is how often and how well the gallbladder contracts; incomplete and
infrequent emptying of the gallbladder may cause the bile to become
overconcentrated and contribute to gallstone formation. The second
factor is the presence of proteins in the liver and bile that either
promote or inhibit cholesterol crystallization into gallstones.
Other factors also seem to play a role in causing gallstones but how is
not clear. Obesity has been shown to be a major risk factor for
gallstones. A large clinical study showed that being even moderately
overweight increases one's risk for developing gallstones. This is
probably true because obesity tends to cause excess cholesterol in bile,
low bile salts, and decreased gallbladder emptying. Very low calorie,
rapid weight-loss diets, and prolonged fasting, seem to also cause
gallstone formation.
In addition, increased levels of the hormone estrogen as a result of
pregnancy, hormone therapy, or the use of birth control pills, may
increase cholesterol levels in bile and also decrease gallbladder
movement, resulting in gallstone formation.
No clear relationship has been proven between diet and gallstone
formation. However, low-fiber, high-cholesterol diets, and diets high
in starchy foods have been suggested as contributing to gallstone
formation.
This is an Article on Gallstone. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Gallstone Causes
Medical options
Cholesterol gallstones can be sometimes be dissolved by oral ursodeoxycholic acid. Obstruction of the common bile duct can sometimes be achieved by endoscopic retrograde sphinceterotomy (ERS) following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).Surgical options
Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) has a 99% chance of eliminating the recurrence of cholelithiasis. There are two surgery options: open procedure and laparoscopic: see the cholecystectomy article for more details.
External links