Cholelithiasis

What it means

Hard, pebble-like deposits that form within the gallbladder.

Gallstones range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Cholesterol gallstones are the most common type of gallstone. Gallstones resulting from too much bilirubin in the bile are referred to as pigment stones.

In everyday care

Most people with this sign do not have a rare disease — it appears in common conditions far more often. These general reference pages cover the same topic:

Rare diseases that can present with this34

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category