gallstones

Examples of gallstones in the following topics:

• Gallstones

  • The composition of gallstones is affected by age, diet and ethnicity.
  • Mixed gallstones typically contain 20%–80% cholesterol.
  • Gallstones may be asymptomatic for years.
  • Gallstones may recur once the drug is stopped.
  • This gallbladder has been opened to show numerous gallstones.

• Pancreatitis

  • Eighty percent of pancreatitis cases are caused by alcohol and gallstones.
  • Gallstones are the single most common cause of acute pancreatitis, while alcohol is the single most common cause of chronic pancreatitis.

• Cholesterol Metabolism

  • Under certain circumstances, when more concentrated, as in the gallbladder, cholesterol crystallizes and is the major constituent of most gallstones.
  • Lecithin and bilirubin gallstones also occur, but less frequently.

• Anatomy of the Gallbladder

  • At the neck of the gallbladder is a mucosal fold where gallstones commonly get stuck.

• Absorption of Alcohol

  • Research has found that drinking reduces the risk of developing gallstones.
  • Compared with alcohol abstainers, the relative risk of gallstone disease, controlling for age, sex, education, smoking and body mass index, is 0.83 for occasional and regular moderate drinkers (< 25 ml of ethanol per day), 0.67 for intermediate drinkers (25-50 ml per day), and 0.58 for heavy drinkers.

• Jaundice

  • It may also indicate leptospirosis or obstruction of the biliary tract by gallstones or pancreatic cancer; it may less commonly be congenital in origin.
  • The most common causes are gallstones in the common bile duct and pancreatic cancer in the head of the pancreas.

• Skin Color as a Diagnostic Clue

  • It may also indicate leptospirosis or obstruction of the biliary tract, for example by gallstones or pancreatic cancer.