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In medicine, gallstones (choleliths) are crystalline bodies formed within the body by accretion or concretion of normal or abnormal bile component.
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 “bile”, lithia means “stone”, and -sis means “process”.
A gallstone’s size varies and may be as small as a sand grain or as large as a golf ball. The gallbladder may develop a single, often large stone or many smaller ones. They may occur in any part of the biliary system.
Gallstones have different appearance, depending on their contents. On the basis of their contents, gallstones can be subdivided into the two following types:
Mixed stones account for the majority of stones. Most of these are a mixture of cholesterol and calcium salts. Because of their calcium content, they can often be visualized radiographically.
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