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Growth kinetics, phase transitions, and cracking in cholesterol gallstones

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Sujeet Kumar ,
S.J. Burns  and
T.N. Blanton
Sujeet Kumar
Affiliation:
Materials Science Program, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627–0133
S.J. Burns
Affiliation:
Materials Science Program, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627–0133
T.N. Blanton
Affiliation:
Analytical Technology Division, Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York 14652–3712
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Abstract

The growth kinetics of cholesterol gallstones have been studied by growing crystals from melted gallstones. The resulting microstructures are spherulitic which is essentially the same as the structures seen in natural gallstones prior to melting. The cholesterol crystals when observed in hot stage microscopy emerge from a unique nucleation center growing radially in the [001] direction with constant rate. The DSC thermograph of a natural gallstone is initially similar to that of cholesterol monohydrate. Upon melting, cholesterol monohydrate changes to anhydrous cholesterol; both forms are crystalline and exhibit polymorphic transformations. Synthetic stones grown from cholesterol were anhydrous and have a phase change at temperatures close to human body temperature. Optical microscopy established that this phase transformation cracks the spherulitic crystals perpendicular to the fast growth direction. Thermal expansion measurements demonstrate that upon heating, the low density, low temperature phase is transformed to a high density phase. This phase transformation and repeated cracking may prove to be useful in destroying natural gallstones, while suppressing this transformation and its associated cracking might aid in securing other solid cholesterol deposits within the human body.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , January 1995 , pp. 216 - 224
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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