Stone

Introduction A solid mass formed in the lumen of a catheter or a luminal organ (such as the kidney, ureter, gallbladder, bladder, etc.) in a human or animal body. Mainly found in the gallbladder and bladder, renal pelvis, can also be found in the lumen of the pancreatic duct, parotid duct and so on. Stones consist of inorganic salts or organic matter. There is usually a core in the stone, which consists of exfoliated epithelial cells, bacterial masses, parasite eggs or worms, fecal blocks or foreign bodies, and inorganic salts or organic matter are deposited on top of the core. Due to the different organs involved, the composition, shape, texture and influence on the body of the mechanism of stone formation are different. In general, stones can cause luminal obstruction, affect the discharge of fluids in the affected organs, and produce symptoms such as pain, bleeding or secondary infections.

Cause

Taking gallstones as an example to introduce the cause of stone formation. Under normal circumstances, bile acids, phospholipids and cholesterol in human bile are kept between certain proportions, and there are also crystal polymerization inhibitors in bile, which can ensure the formation of no stones in the gallbladder. Once a certain factor destroys this balance, it will lead to the formation of cholesterol crystals in the gallbladder, which eventually leads to gallstones.

an examination

Related inspection

Gallbladder biliary tract B-ultrasound urinary system CT examination

Combined with typical clinical manifestations and imaging studies (mainly ultrasound), the diagnosis of stones is generally not difficult to make. After diagnosing the stones, we should also use relevant means to understand whether the stones have damage to the related organs. For example, urolithiasis should positively evaluate the presence of perirenal abscess and renal function reserve.

Differential diagnosis

Excretion of stones: Kidney stones fall into the ureter, causing urinary tract obstruction and colic. Most stones less than 4mm are automatically expelled after 1 month of symptoms. Stones larger than 8mm are hardly discharged automatically. More than half of the stones larger than 6mm will not be automatically discharged.

Hyperoxaluria: Primary hyperoxaluria is a rare hereditary disease. There are two clinical types, type I and type II hyperoxaluria, which are autosomal recessive.

Bilirubin Calcium Stone: The main component of bilirubin calcium stone contains a small amount of calcium salt and organic matter (bacteria, eggs or epithelial cells) in addition to bilirubin. Stones can be found in the common bile duct, but also in the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct systems, but rarely in the gallbladder.

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