From the Guidelines
Gallbladder stones are primarily classified into three types: cholesterol stones, pigment stones, and mixed stones.
- Cholesterol stones are the most common type, comprising approximately 80% of all gallstones, and are typically composed of cholesterol crystals 1.
- Pigment stones are often associated with hemolytic disorders and may require cholecystectomy 1.
- Mixed stones contain both cholesterol and pigment components and may be managed with a combination of treatments, depending on the individual patient's condition and stone composition 1. The provided evidence does not specify the exact composition or treatment options for each type of stone, but it does mention that nonsurgical therapy, such as oral bile acids, can dissolve cholesterol stones by increasing the cholesterol in bile 1. However, the use of bile acids is limited to gallstones with a diameter less than 1.5 cm and whose content is primarily cholesterol 1.
From the Research
Types of Gallstones
- Cholesterol stones: the most common type of gallstone, formed when there is an imbalance in the composition of bile, resulting in the precipitation of cholesterol [ 2, 3,4,5,6 ]
- Pigment stones: divided into black and brown pigment stones, formed when there is an imbalance in the composition of bile, resulting in the precipitation of bile pigments [ 2, 3,4,5,6 ]
- Mixed stones: stones with two or more types of material components, including cholesterol, pigment, and other substances [ 2, 3 ]
- Calcium carbonate stones: a type of gallstone formed when there is an imbalance in the composition of bile, resulting in the precipitation of calcium carbonate [ 2 ]
- Phosphate stones: a type of gallstone formed when there is an imbalance in the composition of bile, resulting in the precipitation of phosphate [ 2 ]
- Calcium stearate stones: a type of gallstone formed when there is an imbalance in the composition of bile, resulting in the precipitation of calcium stearate [ 2 ]
- Protein stones: a type of gallstone formed when there is an imbalance in the composition of bile, resulting in the precipitation of protein [ 2 ]
- Cystine stones: a type of gallstone formed when there is an imbalance in the composition of bile, resulting in the precipitation of cystine [ 2 ]
Classification of Gallstones
- The systematic classification of gallbladder stones indicates that different types of stones have different characteristics in terms of microstructure, elemental composition, and distribution [ 2 ]
- Gallstones can be classified into 8 types and more than ten subtypes, including cholesterol stones, pigment stones, calcium carbonate stones, phosphate stones, calcium stearate stones, protein stones, cystine stones, and mixed stones [ 2 ]