title: Review article: dissolution of gallstones in the biliary tree.
abstract: There are a variety of methods for dissolving gallstones in the biliary tree, which include oral therapy and direct contact dissolution. Cholesterol gallstones are most amenable to dissolution. Developments in non-operative physical methods to remove gallstones (particularly endoscopic papillotomy and extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy have diminished the use of chemical dissolution. However, in selected patients, there remains a place for chemical dissolution, but often in conjunction with the physical techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Summerfield
mesh_terms: D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans