### stone:

Gallstone
* Most gallstones are composed primarily of cholesterol, others contain bile pigment or calcium
  - crystals of cholesterol
  - go unnoticed, and can be left alone as long as no symptoms occur
  - produce no symptoms
  - provoke no symptoms at all
* affect all races, but are more prevalent in some populations.
* also become a real problem from the excessive fats.
* are a common cause of cholecystitis
  - occurrence in our society
  - major health problem
  - mixture of compounds, but typically they are mostly cholesterol
  - about half as frequent in vegetarians as in meat eaters
  - also much less prevalent in vegetarians
  - always abnormal, and they're taken out
  - by far the most important risk factor for gallbladder cancer
  - calculuses
  - cholesterol crystals or pigment material that form in the gall bladder
  - clumps of cholesterol and other matter that form in the gallbladder
* are clumps of solid material that form in the bile stored in the gallbladder
* are common among obese patients who lose weight rapidly after gastric bypass surgery
  - overweight and obese persons
  - in the United States
  - common, especially in women, the elderly and overweight individuals
  - crystalline structures, formed by gradual accretion of components of bile
* are crystals that form from excess cholesterol or bilirubin
  - have collected in the gallbladder or bile ducts
  - diseases
* are extremely common, but cause no problems for most people
  - frequently multiple
  - hard deposits of cholesterol or bile salts that develop in the gallbladder
  - illnesses
  - like tiny rocks that form in the gallbladder
  - lumps composed mainly of cholesterol
* are lumps of rock-like material that form inside the gallbladder
  - solid material that form within the gallbladder
  - made from cholesterol and other things found in the bile
  - more common in women than in men and increase in incidence in both sexes with aging
* are most common among overweight, middle-aged women
  - in older women, but gallbladder cancer is more common in men
  - likely to occur within the first few months after surgery
  - often varied in color and size
* are one of the most common disorders of the gastrointestinal tract
  - medically important complications of voluntary weight loss
  - significant complications of voluntary rapid weight loss
* are pieces of hard solid matter in the gallbladder
  - solid material that form in the gallbladder
  - small rocks or crystals that form in the gallbladder
* are solid crystals made of either cholesterol or bilirubin, a pigment material
  - stones formed in the gallbladder from cholesterol, bile salts and calcium
  - stones that form in the gallbladder
* are the most common disease in the biliary system in western countries
  - gallbladder problem
  - of all gallbladder problems
  - uncommon in slim, moderate drinkers and in vegetarians
* become more common with age in both sexes.
* build up from chemicals in the bile, usually cholesterol.
* can also form due to low levels of bile acids and bile lecithin.
* can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball
  - completely asymptomatic
  - difficult to detect because of their location behind the liver
  - extremely painful and symptoms are often brought on by eating a fried, fatty meal
* can cause inflammation of the pancreas and liver, causing jaundice
  - serious problems if they become trapped in the bile ducts
  - severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting
  - upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, heartburn and back pain
  - range from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter
* cause pain.
* commonly form in the gallbladder.
* compose a solid formation of cholesterol and bile salts.
* develop in many people without causing symptoms
  - the gallbladder from crystals of either cholesterol or bilirubin
* develop when something happens to upset the balance of chemicals in the bile
  - the chemical composition of the bile is upset in some way
* form in the gall bladder located near the liver, and kidney stones form in the kidney
  - gallbladder when cholesterol or pigments crystallize out of the bile
  - when liquid stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material
* happen because bile tricky liquid.
* necessitate nearly all gallbladder removal surgery.
* occur in children and adults with increasing frequency with age.
* occur more often in people who have high cholesterol levels or diabetes
  - women and the elderly
  - much more frequently in women than in men
  - three times more often in overweight individuals
* often form in persons with cirrhosis.
* range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball.
* return in a majority of patients who pursue dissolution treatments.
* sometimes form within the concentrated bile.
* tend to run in families.
* usually lie in the most dependent part of gallbladder
  - return when medication is stopped
  - show up as dark spots against a bright background
* vary in size and number.