Gallstone dissolution after 6 months of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA): effectiveness of different doses.

In order to compare the effects on gallstone dissolution of three different doses of UDCA (4, 8 and 12 mg/kg/day), a controlled trial was carried out with seventy-one patients. The dissolution rate was higher in the group treated with the highest dose. Stone size was the major factor affecting the outcome of treatment, with a significantly higher success rate in patients with gallstones less than 10 mm than with stones greater than 10 mm.