Gallstones

Abstract Over 20 million people in the US are affected by gallbladder-related diseases, and the estimated direct annual costs exceed $6.3 billion. The formation of gallstones, cholelithiasis, affects people throughout the world, but the prevalence varies among different groups, ranging from 60% to 70% among American Indians to 5% among persons in sub-Saharan Africa. In the US, 20% of patients with cholelithiasis have gallstone-related complications (annual incidence rate, 1%-4%), and more than 700,000 cholecystectomies are performed annually. This chapter reviews the anatomy, development, physiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management of gallstone and gallstone-related diseases.