On the cholesterol content of the blood in cases of cholelithiasis: with special reference to the variations it shows after operations on the gall bladder and bile ducts

Abstract

The variations which occur in the Cholesterol content of the blood in pathological conditions have been the subject of much investigation, and in no condition have more divergent results been obtained than in Cholelithiasis. Many workers have found a definite hypercholesterinaemia associated with the presence of gallstones, while others have been unable to confirm this.It seemed, therefore, that it would be of great interest to estimate the blood Cholesterol in gallstone cases, both before and after operation, with the following aims:-(i) To determine whether a hypercholesterinaemia occurs in patients who have gallstones, and if so, whether this fact is of practical value in regard to diagnosis.(ii) To observe the effect upon the blood Cholesterol of the various operations undertaken for the relief of pathological conditions of the gall-bladder.It was hoped that thereby some light might be thrown upon the, as yet»uncertain relationship between the gall-bladder/ gall-bladder and the metabolism of Cholesterol. The possibility that this organ may play an important part in Cholesterol metabolism has long been recognised, but although much work has been done on this subject very little that is definite has emerged. Recent work has given strong support to the belief that the gall-bladder has some more important function than that of a reservoir and pressure regulating mechanism, and if this function is concerned with the lipoid Cholesterol it is reasonable to suppose that the removal of the organ would produce consistent changes in the Cholesterol content of the blood.