[Characteristics of the microstructure of biliary calculi based on data from scanning electron microscopy]

Scanning electron microscopy was employed to study cholelithic microstructure. Irrespective of the chemical composition, the gall-stones demonstrated the presence of a cementing matrix composed of micellar-vesicular particles occurring either in aggregates or regularly spreading along the facets about the surface of crystalloid structures. There appeared to be a close relationship between the latter and the particles which are, viz., vesicles, responsible for the plane and margin epitaxy of the cryslalloid structures. Any cholesterol deposits are lipoprotein-like particles or their derivatives, appearing as micellar-vesicular particles in case of choleliths.