Stone formed from Gallbladder Sludge

[Guest guest]

Barry, your stone is most likely formed from Gallbladder Sludge

Gallbladder Sludge = Amorphous material that contains mucoprotein,

cholesterol crystals, and calcium bilirubinate

Gallstones composed of (cholesterol, bilirubin, mucus, Ca)

http://www.medicine.mcgill.ca/mss/NTCs/Med%202/ICM%20C%20-%20Biliary%20Tract

..doc

Mixed Stones

Precipitation of cholesterol as crystals tends to occur if the bile is

lithogenic (ie. Low concentration of bile acids) and is supersaturated with

cholesterol. These crystals, in the presence of enucleating factors (an

imbalance between nucleation-inhibiting and nucleation-promoting proteins),

may agglomerate to form gallstones and entrap other components of bile (e.

bilirubin, mucus, Ca) in the process.

Most mixed stones do not contain enough Ca to render them radiopaque. Thus

they are not seen on plain X-rays.

Most mixed stones are formed in the gallbladder since incomplete emptying

of the gallbladder (a normal phenomenon) affords ideal conditions for

agglomeration.

Pigment Stones

Black stones

§ Generally found in the gallbladder

§ Typically form in the sterile gallbladder bile

§ Commonly associated with hemolytic diseases and cirrhosis

Brown stones

§ Associated with infected bile

§ Found primarily in bile ducts

§ Are usually soft

Pigment stones usually contain enough calcium such that they are radiopaque

and thus seen on X-rays.

Gallbladder Sludge

· Amorphous material that contains mucoprotein, cholesterol crystals, and

calcium bilirubinate

· Often associated with prolonged total parenteral nutrition, starvation or

rapid weight loss.

· May be a precursor to gallstones

[Guest guest]

Agnes,

Thanks. Maybe mine is a mixed stone but it did show up on ultrasound.

Maybe the majority of it was cholesterol and the small amount of

something like protein or calcium made it show up on ultrasound?

I will see if I can get a lab to test a piece for these things and

see what I can come up with. It will have to be in August before I

can do the testing.

Barry.

>

> Barry, your stone is most likely formed from Gallbladder Sludge

>

> Gallbladder Sludge = Amorphous material that contains mucoprotein,

> cholesterol crystals, and calcium bilirubinate

>

> Gallstones composed of (cholesterol, bilirubin, mucus, Ca)

>

> http://www.medicine.mcgill.ca/mss/NTCs/Med%202/ICM%20C%20-%

20Biliary%20Tract

> .doc

>

>

> Mixed Stones

> Precipitation of cholesterol as crystals tends to occur if the bile

is

> lithogenic (ie. Low concentration of bile acids) and is

supersaturated with

> cholesterol. These crystals, in the presence of enucleating factors

(an

> imbalance between nucleation-inhibiting and nucleation-promoting

proteins),

> may agglomerate to form gallstones and entrap other components of

bile (e.

> bilirubin, mucus, Ca) in the process.

>

> Most mixed stones do not contain enough Ca to render them

radiopaque. Thus

> they are not seen on plain X-rays.

>

> Most mixed stones are formed in the gallbladder since incomplete

emptying

> of the gallbladder (a normal phenomenon) affords ideal conditions

for

> agglomeration.

>

> Pigment Stones

> Black stones

> § Generally found in the gallbladder

> § Typically form in the sterile gallbladder bile

> § Commonly associated with hemolytic diseases and cirrhosis

>

> Brown stones

> § Associated with infected bile

> § Found primarily in bile ducts

> § Are usually soft

>

> Pigment stones usually contain enough calcium such that they are

radiopaque

> and thus seen on X-rays.

>

> Gallbladder Sludge

> · Amorphous material that contains mucoprotein, cholesterol

crystals, and

> calcium bilirubinate

> · Often associated with prolonged total parenteral nutrition,

starvation or

> rapid weight loss.

> · May be a precursor to gallstones