Mixed stones. Mixed stones are a mixture of cholesterol and pigment stones.
Choledocholithiasis (Common Bile Duct Stones)
Gallstones can also be present in the common bile duct, rather than the gallbladder. This condition is called choledocholithiasis.
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Click the icon to see an image of gallstone obstruction. |
Secondary Common Bile Duct Stones. In most cases, common bile duct stones originally form in the gallbladder and pass into the common duct. They are then called secondary stones. Secondary choledocholithiasis occurs in about 10% of patients with gallstones.
Primary Common Bile Duct Stones. Less often, the stones form in the common duct itself (called primary stones). Primary common duct stones are usually of the brown pigment type and are more likely to cause infection than secondary common duct stones.
Gallbladder Diseases without Stones (Acalculous Gallbladder Disease)
Gallbladder disease can occur without stones, a condition called acalculous gallbladder disease. This refers to a condition in which a person has symptoms of gallbladder stones, yet there is no evidence of stones in the gallbladder or biliary tract. It can be acute (arising suddenly) or chronic (persistent).
- Acute acalculous gallbladder disease usually occurs in patients who are very ill from other disorders. In these cases, inflammation occurs in the gallbladder. Such inflammation usually results from reduced blood supply or an inability of the gallbladder to properly contract and empty its bile.
- Chronic acalculous gallbladder disease (also called biliary dyskinesia) appears to be caused by muscle defects or other problems in the gallbladder, which interfere with the natural movements required to empty the sac.
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Review Date: 06/10/2010
Reviewed By: Reviewed by: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor
of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts
General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
