Review of five cases of limy bile--particularly on radiological, chemical and crystallographic studies--.

Incidence of "limy bile" is relatively rare and only 120 cases have been recorded in Japan so far. The present report is to add five more cases operated on at our clinic. On chemical analysis by atomic absorption spectrophotometry calcium carbonate was the major constituent of solid portion and ranged from 73.5 to 88.5%. On crystallographic analyses, the infrared spectra by means of KBr-disk method gave patterns of calcium carbonate in all cases, and the X-ray powder diffraction studies disclosed those of aragonite only in cases 2 and 4, and aragonite-calcite mixture in cases 1 and 3. The exact etiology of formation of limy bile in the gallbladder has not yet been understood completely.