gallstone

Thân thiện

A doctor shows a patient a diagram of a gallstone during a consultation.

Definition

Noun: A hard, pebble-like mass, typically composed of cholesterol or bilirubin, that forms abnormally within the gallbladder or the bile ducts.

Usage

The word "gallstone" is a countable noun. It refers specifically to the pathological concretion itself. It is most commonly used in medical and general health contexts. - The presence of one or more gallstones is the defining feature of cholelithiasis. - Symptoms often occur when a gallstone blocks a duct.

Examples

• The ultrasound revealed a single large gallstone.
• Severe pain can be caused by a gallstone moving into the bile duct.
• Her surgery was necessary to remove several gallstones.

Advanced Usage

• "To pass a gallstone": This phrase describes the (often painful) process of a stone moving from the gallbladder through the biliary ducts. It is less common than with kidney stones, as gallstones often require medical intervention.
  • The patient hoped to pass the gallstone naturally, but it required surgical removal.

Variants and Related Words

• Cholelithiasis (n): The medical condition of having gallstones.
  • He was diagnosed with cholelithiasis.
• Biliary calculus (n): A formal, clinical synonym for gallstone.
• Stone (n): In medical contexts, "stone" can be used informally to mean gallstone (or kidney stone), but it is less precise.

Synonyms

• Biliary calculus: The formal medical term.
• Cholelith: A less common but technically accurate synonym used in medical literature.

Related Phrases

• Gallstone attack: A common term for an acute episode of pain (biliary colic) caused by a gallstone.
  • She was hospitalized after a severe gallstone attack.
• Gallstone disease: A broader term encompassing the condition and its complications.
  • Obesity is a risk factor for gallstone disease.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a calculus formed in the gall bladder or its ducts

Từ đồng nghĩa

• bilestone