Types of Gallstones

Gallstones, also called cholelithiasis, consist of digestive fluids that form into hard, pebble-like deposits in bile. A majority of gallstones form in the gallbladder. Gallstone sizes range from as tiny as a grain of sand to as big as a golf ball.
  1. Cholesterol Gallstones

    • Cholesterol gallstones are the most common type of gallstones. These yellow gallstones consist primarily of undissolved cholesterol.

    Black Pigment Gallstones

    • Black pigment gallstones form when the bile contains an excess of bilirubin, a pigment in blood that passes through the liver. The bilirubin combines with calcium to form black gallstones.

    Brown Pigment Gallstones

    • Brown pigment gallstones form when bacteria alters the bilirubin in the gallbladder. The altered bilirubin then combines with calcium and fats to form dark brown gallstones.

    Ceftriaxone Gallstones

    • Patients taking the ceftriaxone antiobiotic occasionally form gallstones. The medication combines with calcium in bile to develop hard deposits.

    Risk Factors

    • Individuals with diabetes and cirrhosis are more likely to have stones form in their gallbladders. Gallstones are also more common in Native Americans, females and individuals older than 40.

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