ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The composition of gallstones is very variable depending on many factors such as diet, sex, race, genetic background, and so on. The compositional changes of gallstones have been reported in Korean people. Author studied the compositional characteristics of gallstones in Pusan area to see geographical difference. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Gas chromatography and Mass spectrophotometry was performed on the gallstones obtained from the 34 patients who had been taken cholecystectomy because of acute or chronic cholecystitis. Cholesterol gallstone was defined as the composition of the cholesterol is more than 50%. RESULTS: The cholesterol gallstone was 67.6% (23/34) in the 34 patients. There was sexual difference in the cholesterol gallstone group, which the ratio of male and female was 1:2.3(7/16), while there was no difference in the non-cholesterol stone(5:6). The cholesterol stone consisted with cholesterol, bilirubin, bile acid, and palmitic acid and the propotion of them was 75.6%, 4.6%, 15.0%, and 1.8% respectively. While the proportion of non-cholesterol stone was 30.2%, 26.8%, 37.5%, and 5.5% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The cholesterol stone was major fraction of gallstone of the patients in Pusan area. There was no difference on the compostion of gallstones between those of patients in Pusan area and in the other area of Korea.