[Pathophysiology of cholesterol gallstones].

Cholelithiasis is a civilization-related disease with multifactorial causation. The supersaturation of the bile with cholesterol is a deciding risk factor, which, however, does not lead to gallstone formation in each individual case. The connection between supersaturated bile and the formation of stone whose primary constituent is cholesterol, are the cholesterol-monohydrate crystals. Several risk factors lead to cholesterol supersaturation of the bile. Other risk factors induce or maintain the nucleation of the cholesterol crystals. In the following paper the nucleating and inhibiting factors and the pathophysiology of cholesterol gallstones will be discussed.