title: Successful dissolution of cholesterol gallstone during treatment with pravastatin.
abstract: This case report describes a 51-year-old hypercholesterolemic male patient who had a large solitary cholesterol gallstone. The patient was treated with the 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor pravastatin, 40 mg/day. After 3 months of therapy, serum cholesterol level normalized (7.7 mmol/L before and 5.2 mmol/L during treatment), and biliary cholesterol saturation index decreased from 1.3 before to 0.8 during treatment. Repeatedly performed ultrasonography showed complete gallstone dissolution. Pravastatin may be valuable in the nonsurgical treatment of cholesterol gallstone disease particularly when there is an additional indication for HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors because of hypercholesterolemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: van Erpecum
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Stolk
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Geerdink
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Cluysenaer
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Erkelens
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: van Berge Henegouwen
mesh_terms: D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002784:Cholesterol; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol; D017035:Pravastatin