[Pros and cons of chemical litholysis in bile duct calculi]

Chemical litholysis of biliary stones is currently performed using monooctanoin (Mo) and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). These two solvents dissolve cholesterol gallstones at different speeds due to their viscosity, high for Mo (47 cps) and low for MTBE (0.2 cps). A third compound was recently used which was produced by combining the previous two agents, Mo and MTBE, at a ratio of 2:1 v/v. The mixture has an intermediate viscosity (2.8 cps) and has shown good tolerability, management and efficacy with a 90% success rate in the treatment of post-surgical gallstones in 28 patients.