Comparative Study of Chemical Composition of Stone and Serum in Gallstone Patients

Gallstones are classified into three types based on their composition as cholesterol, pigment and mixed stones, with each type having different epidemiology and risk factors. Additionally, each type of these stones is formed in a different site. Cholesterol stones and pigment stones are predominantly found in the gall bladder and bile canaliculi of liver respectively, while mixed stones occur across the entire biliary tract but finally grow and settle down in gall bladder.1 Gallstones comprise mainly of cholesterol. The other chief components are bilirubin and calcium salts (e.g. phosphates). These substances are also present in the serum of the gallstone patients.2 However, there is not much data available on the correlation between bile and serum levels of these constituents in this patient population. This study was conducted to study this correlation.