Review article: dissolution of gallstones in the biliary tree.

There are a variety of methods for dissolving gallstones in the biliary tree, which include oral therapy and direct contact dissolution. Cholesterol gallstones are most amenable to dissolution. Developments in non-operative physical methods to remove gallstones (particularly endoscopic papillotomy and extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy have diminished the use of chemical dissolution. However, in selected patients, there remains a place for chemical dissolution, but often in conjunction with the physical techniques.