[X-ray diffraction study of biliary calculi. Morphological and composition correlations of calculi].

Abstract

In this study, we examined the composition of crystallographic structure of biliary stones in 106 patients (27 male, 79 female). The material has been obtained following cholecystectomy. In 70 cases (66%), the monohydrate cholesterol was the main constituent, alone (33%) or in combination with calcium salts (32%). In 52% of the cases, we found presence of vaterite, aragonite and calcite. The anhydrous cholesterol was determined in 28 subjects (26%), alone (9.4%) or associated with calcium salts (16%). Cholesterol was completely absent in 8 cases: of them, 4 presented an aspecific diffrattografic picture and 4 revealed presence of calcium carbonate. Finally, no correlation was found between epidemiological data (sex or age) and macroscopic feature of biliary stones (chemical and morphological structure).