Are Gallstones the Same as Kidney Stones?

Gallstones and kidney stones are two major types of stones that develop in the body. However, they are not the same. They have differences in stone components and the organs where they develop are different, as well.

Gallstones develop in the gallbladder

The gallbladder a small, pear-shaped structure located underneath the liver. The gallbladder stores bile, which is a fluid substance composed of water, cholesterol, fats, bile salts, proteins, and bilirubin. It is made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder until the body needs it. Two types of gallstones can develop, the cholesterol stones and pigment stones. (Learn more about Gallstones.)

Kidney stones form in the kidney

Kidney stones develop in the in the kidney. They form when substances in the urine harden to form stones. Many people develop small kidney stones that easily pass through the urinary tract without causing any symptoms. However, when they become large enough that they can lodge in smaller urinary tract structures, symptoms will occur. [Learn more about Kidney Stones at www.kidneyhealthcare.com].

<sub>Sources:
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) site
Kidney Health Care (KHC) site
Tortora, G. and Grabowski, S.: PRINCIPLES OF ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 10th ed. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2003.
Seeley, R. et al: ESSENTIALS OF ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 5th ed. McGraw – Hill, 2005.

Page Last Revised: August 26, 2011</sub>

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Gallstones (Choleliths, Cholelithiasis): An Overview

Overview of the causes, risk factors, signs and symptoms and treatment of gallstones.

Gallstones, also known as choleliths or cholelithiasis, are small, solid, pebble-like particles that develop in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped sac that is located just under the liver in the right upper abdomen. The gallbladder stores bile that is produced by the liver cells. Bile helps with the digestion of fats. When we eat foods high in fats, the gallbladder contracts and pushes the bile through a small tube-called the common bile duct-that carries it to the small intestine, where it helps with digestion.

Components of bile include water, cholesterol, fats, bile salts, proteins and bilirubin-a product that results from the normal breakdown of red blood cells in the liver. Gallstones form when the bile stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material.

Generally, there are two types of gallstones: cholesterol stones and pigment stones.

A cholesterol stone, which is more common, accounts for about 80% of all cases of gallstones. Cholesterol stones form when cholesterol hardens in the bile.

Pigment stones are small, dark stones made up of the pigment bilirubin.

Gallstones vary in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. It may develop in the gallbladder as hundreds of tiny stones, just one large stone, or a combination of both.

Risk Factors

Gallstones are more common among older adults; women; American Indians; Mexican Americans; people with diabetes; those with a family history of gallstones; people who are overweight, obese, or undergo rapid weight loss; and those taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Causes

Scientists believe that cholesterol stones form from imbalances in bile components such as when bile contains too much cholesterol, too much bilirubin, or not enough bile salts, or when the gallbladder does not empty completely or often enough. The reason why these imbalances occur is not yet fully known.

Pigment stones tend to develop in people who have liver cirrhosis, biliary tract infections, or hereditary blood disorders—such as sickle cell anemia—in which the liver makes too much bilirubin. But the cause of pigment stones is not fully understood.

Symptoms

Many people with gallstones have no symptoms. These gallstones are called "silent stones", which usually does not require treatment.

Symptoms may occur when gallstones create a blockage in the bile ducts. Symptoms of blocked bile ducts include steady pain in the right upper abdomen that intensifies rapidly and lasts from 30 minutes to several hours; pain in the right shoulder or the back between the shoulder blades. Because the pain occurs suddenly, it is often called a gallbladder "attack". Gallbladder attacks often follow after a fatty meal, and they may occur during the night.

If you think that you have experienced a gallbladder attack, notify your doctor immediately. If the blockage remains, this may cause an infection or rupture of the gallbladder, which leads to more complications.

Warning signs

You should see your doctor immediately if you have

• pain lasting for more than 5 hours
• experience nausea and vomiting
• fever—even low-grade—or chills
• yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes
• clay-colored stools

Diagnosis

Often, gallstones are discovered during routine tests for other health conditions. When gallstones are suspected to be the cause of symptoms, the doctor is likely to do an ultrasound exam—the most sensitive and specific test for gallstones. Since gallstone symptoms may be similar to other conditions such as heart attack, appendicitis, pancreatitis, and hepatitis, an accurate diagnosis is very important.

Other diagnostic tests may be performed such as computerized tomography (CT) scan, Cholescintigraphy (HIDA scan), Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), blood tests for a more accurate diagnosis or to rule out other conditions. Visit the Gallstones Diagnosis Page for a more comprehensive discussion about the diagnosis of gallstones.

Treatment

Treatment for gallstones may include removal of the gallbladder or through medications.

Treatment may not be required if you have gallstones that do not cause symptoms. If you are having frequent gallstone attacks, your doctor may recommend that you have your gallbladder removed. The operation is called a cholecystectomy.

Nonsurgical approaches are used only in special situations such as—such as when a patient has a serious medical condition preventing surgery—and only for cholesterol stones. Nonsurgical approaches may include oral dissolution therapy and contact dissolution therapy. For a more elaborate discussion on treatment options for gallstones, visit the Gallstones Treatment Page.

Further Reading:
Gallstones - Description, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of gallstones.

Reference: National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (July 2007). Gallstones (NIH Publication No. 07–2897). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH, DHHS. Web URL: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gallstones/

This Page Last Revised: August 3, 2012

Gallstones

Overview and Background Anatomy

Gallstones form when liquid stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material. The liquid, called bile, is used to help the body digest fats. Bile is made in the liver, then stored in the gallbladder until the body needs to digest fat. At that time, the gallbladder contracts and pushes the bile into a tube—called the common bile duct—that carries it to the small intestine, where it helps with digestion.

Bile contains water, cholesterol, fats, bile salts, proteins, and bilirubin. Bile salts break up fat, and bilirubin gives bile and stool a yellowish color. If the liquid bile contains too much cholesterol, bile salts, or bilirubin, under certain conditions it can harden into stones.

The two types of gallstones are cholesterol stones and pigment stones. Cholesterol stones are usually yellow-green and are made primarily of hardened cholesterol. They account for about 80 percent of gallstones. Pigment stones are small, dark stones made of bilirubin. Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. The gallbladder can develop just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or almost any combination.


Gallstones can block the normal flow of bile if they lodge in any of the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the small intestine. That includes the hepatic ducts, which carry bile out of the liver; the cystic duct, which takes bile to and from the gallbladder; and the common bile duct, which takes bile from the cystic and hepatic ducts to the small intestine. Bile trapped in these ducts can cause inflammation in the gallbladder, the ducts, or, rarely, the liver. Other ducts open into the common bile duct, including the pancreatic duct, which carries digestive enzymes out of the pancreas. If a gallstone blocks the opening to that duct, digestive enzymes can become trapped in the pancreas and cause an extremely painful inflammation called gallstone pancreatitis.

If any of these ducts remain blocked for a significant period of time, severe—possibly fatal—damage or infections affecting the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas can occur. Warning signs of a serious problem are fever, jaundice, and persistent pain.

l l Causes >>

Source: Gallstones. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). National Institutes of Health. NIH Publication No. 05–2897: November 2004

Image Credit: NIDDK Image Library. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Page Last Revised: August 26, 2011

Gallstones: Diagnosis

Many gallstones, especially silent stones, are discovered by accident during tests for other problems. But when gallstones are suspected to be the cause of symptoms, the doctor is likely to do an ultrasound exam. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of organs. Sound waves are sent toward the gallbladder through a handheld device that a technician glides over the abdomen. The sound waves bounce off the gallbladder, liver, and other organs such as a pregnant uterus, and their echoes make electrical impulses that create a picture of the organ on a video monitor. If stones are present, the sound waves will bounce off them, too, showing their location. Ultrasound is the most sensitive and specific test for gallstones.

Other tests may also be used.

 Computed tomography (CT) scan may show the gallstones or complications.

 Magnetic resonance cholangiogram may diagnose blocked bile ducts.

 Cholescintigraphy (HIDA scan) is used to diagnose abnormal contraction
of the gallbladder or obstruction. The patient is injected with a radioactive
material that is taken up in the gallbladder, which is then stimulated to
contract.

 Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Thepatient swallows an endoscope—a long, flexible, lighted tube connected to a
computer and TV monitor. The doctor guides the endoscope through the stomach and into the small intestine. The doctor then injects a special dye that temporarily
stains the ducts in the biliary system. ERCP is used to locate and remove stones
in the ducts.

 Blood tests. Blood tests may be used to look for signs of infection, obstruction, pancreatitis, or jaundice.

Gallstone symptoms are similar to those of heart attack, appendicitis, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, hiatal hernia, pancreatitis, and hepatitis. So accurate diagnosis is important.

<< Symptoms l l Treatment >>

Source: Gallstones. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). National Institutes of Health. NIH Publication No. 05–2897: November 2004

Page Last Revised: August 2, 2012