GALLSTONES

The term of gallstones medically be known as stones that usually form in the gall bladder or bile duct ( repository of bile at surface of posteroinferior liver ).

Gallstone also can form anywhere there is bile, such as intrahepatic, hepatic, and cystic ducts. Gallstones also may move about within bile, for example, from the gallbladder into the cystic or common duct. 

The types of gallstones include :

1. Cholesterol gallstones as a the type of gallstone most common and are made primarily ofcholesterol ( one of substances that liver cells secrete into bile as a an important way in which the liver eliminates excess cholesterol from the body ). Women who have been pregnant have the risk of cholesterol gallstones because at this period, bile contains more cholesterol and the gallbladder does not contract normally. Gallstones occur more frequently in individuals with elevated blood triglyceride levels.

2. Pigment gallstones is a waste product formed from hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying chemical in red blood cells. The hemoglobin from old red blood cells that are being destroyed is changed becomes bilirubin and be released into the blood through the liver. The liver modifies the bilirubin and secretes the modified bilirubin into bile. The two types of pigment gallstones is namely :

• Black pigment gallstones can occur if there is too much bilirubin in bile that combines with other constituents in bile, for example calcium, and then they will form pigment black and hard. Black pigment gallstones can be formed whenever if there is load of bilirubin that reaches the liver, this matter relate to destruction of red blood cells, as happened at patient of n sickle cell disease and thalassemia. Black pigment gallstones also are more common happened at patient with liver cirrhosis.
• Brown pigment gallstones can occur if contraction of the gallbladder be reduced or there is obstruction at the flow of bile through the ducts, bacteria may ascend from the duodenum into the bile ducts and gallbladder. The bacteria alter the bilirubin in the ducts and gallbladder, and the altered bilirubin then combines with calcium to form pigment. The pigment then combines with fats in bile ( cholesterol and fatty acids from lecithin ) to form particles that grow into gallstones with colour more brown and softer than black pigment gallstones

3. Rare type of gallstone can be formed at patients taking the antibiotic, likes ceftriaxone ( rocephin ) because ceftriaxone unusual be eliminated from the body if bile in high concentrations, and then it combines with calcium in bile and becomes insoluble so that grow into gallstones. 

4. Another rare type of gallstone is formed from calcium carbonate. 

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