Types of Gall Stones
Gall stones are found in the following forms:
- White or mixed (pure or mainly cholesterol): 80% of UK gall stones occur when bile is super-saturated with cholesterol (Fig 1)
- Brown: <5% in the UK, due to stasis and infection within the biliary tree
- Black (bile predominant): seen in haemolytic disease (sickle cell, thalassaemia, G6PDHase deficiency and hereditary spherocytosis) and cirrhosis [1]
Learning Bite
Cholesterol gall stones are commonest.