Cholelithiasis is the presence of gallstones in the gallbladder.
The spectrum of gallbladder disease ranges from asymptomatic gallstones to gallbladder colic, cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, and cholangitis. Cholangitis is infection of the biliary tree. This chapter, cholelithiasis, will focus on pathophysiology and epidemiology of gallstones with the clinical diseases of the gallbladder colic. Cholecystitis and cholangitis are covered in other chapters. Three types of gallstones exist.