Rowachol--a possible treatment for cholesterol gallstones.

Epidemiology of Cholesterol Gallstones

GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY S165 Gallstones are extremely common in Western societies. Approximately l5% of Americans have gallstones, and approximately 650,000 to 700,000 cholecystectomies are performed every year.1. More than 98% of all biliary tract disorders are in some way related to gallstones. Symptoms and complications related to gallstones are among the most costly digestive disorders, ...

Pathogenesis of Cholesterol Gallstones

Cholesterol gallstone disease is extremely common. Three major stages are recognized for stone formation, namely bile that becomes supersaturated with cholesterol, cholesterol nucleation leading to crystal formation and finally retention of the crystals in the gallbladder resulting in stone formation. Supersaturation is common but nucleation into crystals probably requires protein nucleating fa...

Possible role of a defect in hepatic bilirubin glucuronidation in the initiation of cholesterol gallstones.

Abnormally low activity of hepatic bilirubin UDP-glucuronosyltransferase was found in 25% of 81 unselected patients with gallstones, as compared with only 3% in 35 controls. At the time of cholecystectomy, the stones were taken for analysis in 48 of 81 patients, and a bile sample was obtained in 42 of them. Among the stones, 75% were cholesterol stones, 15% pigment stones, and 10% 'intermediate...

Constipation: is it a risk factor for cholesterol gallstones?

Cholesterol gallstones: from epidemiology to prevention.

Epidemiology The data usually employed in assessing gallstone prevalence were derived until recently from selected series of patients (necropsies, surgery, etc), which may not represent the general population. SuYce to say that the reported 0% prevalence of gallstones in the Masaï population was deduced from surgical experience in that area, which is far from being an ideal way to collect epide...