Abstract
Primary lesions (mucous gland metaplasia, lymph-follicle formation, cholesterosis, formation of Rokitansky-Aschoff sinus, RAS) of the gallbladder were histologically studied to investigate the morphologic changes in the formation of gallstones.
As compared with the non-calculous gallbladder (control), the incidence of mucous gland metaplasia was significantly high in each calculous gallbladder. Lymph-follicle formation in the gallbladder with calcium bilirubinate stones and RAS formation in the gallbladder with cholesterol stones were characteristically and significantly high, respectively.
Regarding histologic scoring of each gallbladder recorded on the basis of the presence and severity of the lesions, each calculous gallbladder tended to have higher average score than the control, but did not significantly score highly.
In interrelation among primary lesions, relationship between the severity of mucous gland metaplasia and cholesterosis showed reverse correlation.
As a result, mucous gland metaplasia was the most common and characteristic morphologic change in the calculous gallbladder. It is suggested that mucous gland metaplasia in the gallbladder may play a part of role of the gallbladder in the formation of gallstones.
