title: Clinical and biochemical comparative study of different types of common bile duct stones.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The chemical composition of common bile duct (CBD) stones may have significance with regard to the origin, clinical presentation and treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the chemical composition of CBD stones and compare different types of CBD stones.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with CBD stones seen over a 1-year period were studied prospectively. Their stones were analyzed for cholesterol, bilirubin and calcium contents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 74 patients with CBD stones, 42 had associated gall bladder (GB) stones (Group 1), 14 had post-cholecystectomy CBD stones (Group 2) and 18 had CBD stones with a stoneless GB in situ (Group 3). Of the 40 patients whose CBD stones were analyzed, 34 (85%; 18/19 in Group 1, 5/6 in Group 2 and 11/15 in Group 3) had cholesterol stones; the remaining 6 patients had pigment stones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most CBD stones in northern Indian patients are cholesterol stones. Even in patients with isolated CBD stones (with stoneless GB in situ), three-quarters are cholesterol stones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Tandon
mesh_terms: D001663:Bilirubin / Q000032:analysis; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis*; D042882:Gallstones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol; D001663:Bilirubin; D002118:Calcium