Cytodiagnosis of bile microspheroliths: a case report

We recently observed numerous microspheroliths consisting of microscopic organized crystalline structures of varying shapes, sizes, and colors in a bile specimen from a 65-yr-old woman obtained directly from the gallbladder during a surgical procedure for cholecystectomy. Detection of microspheroliths could be very useful in the diagnostic approach to patients with recurrent pain in the biliary region or with acute pancreatitis of unknown origin. To date, we are unaware of any cytologic reports describing microspheroliths in bile.