Abstract
Background: It is essential to understand the aetiopathogenesis of
gallstone disease. This study was undertaken to determine the chemical
composition of gallstones from patients living in Al-Jouf Province of
Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a descriptive study where 46
gallstones from Al-Jouf Province of Saudi Arabia were analysed by
semiquantitative titrimetric and colourimetric methods. The proportion
of different types of gallstones was described using 95% confidence
interval based on exact method. Results: Gallstones were found more
frequently in female patients (60.9%) than males (39.1%), and these
stones were composed of pure cholesterol (54.3%), pure bilirubin
(2.2%), or mixed stones (43.5%). The most common chemical constituent
was cholesterol (82.6%), while bilirubin was seen in 26.1% of the
stones. Calcium was present in 32.6% of the stones in the form of
calcium salts of bilirubin and carbonate. Bilirubin-containing stones
were slightly more frequent in males than in females, while
cholesterol-containing stones were less frequent in males. Conclusion:
The findings indicate that gallstones in the Al-Jouf Province develop
more frequently in the age group of the third decade of life, with more
risk among females than males, and are predominated by cholesterol
together with calcium bilirubinate and calcium carbonate.