Effect of intravenous fat emulsion on hepatic bile. Increased lithogenicity and crystal formation.

Hepatic bile from a series of patients with non-functioning gallbladders treated with an intravenous infusion of fat emulsion during prolonged preoperative fast was compared with that of controls. After the fat emulsion the bile was found to contain rhomboid tetragonal crystals whereas that of controls did not. It also contained polygonal crystals which showed Maltese crosses in polarized light. These crystals were also absent in the controls. Bile from cholecystectomized patients did not contain rhomboid cholesterol crystals after the infussion of fat but the occasional presence of polygonal crystals was noted. In both series of patients the infusion of fat resulted in increased lithogenicity of bile.