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Backscattered Electron Imaging And Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Microanalysis Studies Of Evidence For Calcium Salt Heterogeneity In Fifteen Gallstones From An Elderly Human, Tetsuo Kodaka, Ryoichi Mori, Kazuhiro Debari, Reiji Takiguchi, Shohei Higashi

Scanning Microscopy

We examined 15 variably-sized gallstones, taken from an elderly male, by backscattered electron imaging and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis to learn the structural and distribution patterns of gallstone calcium (Ca-) salts. Of the 13 cholesterol-rich stones, nine stones had peripheral concentric layers of Ca-carbonate, whereas 2 stones had peripheral layers of Ca-phosphate. No Ca-salts were detected from 2 cholesterol-rich stones. The 2 stones containing Ca-phosphate had no Ca-salt cores, whereas the stones containing Ca-carbonate were separated into 3 different types: two stones with a Ca-carbonate core, four stones with several Ca-bilirubinate cores of glass-like structure, and 3 stones lacking Ca-salt cores. …