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"Question For the past six weeks I have been suffering considerable discomfort in my general stomach area, particularly after eating and after drinking a couple of glasses of wine.  This has got progressively worse, to the point where I am eating bland food like bread to prevent this discomfort. When bread also began to have a similar effect, I went to see my GP.  Not unreasonably, he prescribed Gaviscon. This week, having taken the prescribed dose for a week, I suffered severe abdominal pain, which seemed to start in the middle of my stomach and escalate upwards and outwards from there.  I would liken the severity of the pain to a contraction (I had my son seven years ago).  This pain lasted for approximately an hour, at which point I went to see a doctor near my office who examined me and suggested possibly an ulcer or inflammation of the stomach.  She also said I should go and see my own doctor again. I did this today, having suffered constant discomfort since the incident at the office and severe pain necessitating a late night call to our on-call doctor last night.  My doctor has today completed a urine test as my urine has become darker and he believes I may have a stone in my liver.  I have also had blood tests and am waiting for an ultrasound scan, which I hope will be as soon as possible as I am covered by BUPA.  I cannot however find information about stones in the liver and would be very interested in your comments. Answer Thank you for an interesting question. You have obviously had a great deal of pain and inconvenience to put up with. Well done for getting through it all. Liver stones (intrahepatic calculi) are prevalent in the Far East but infrequently seen in Western countries.  They are usually rich in cholesterol and although their exact cause remains unknown, a defect in the way the liver processes cholesterol and bile acid may be involved.  A build up of bile within the liver (intrahepatic lithiasis or IHL) can cause recurrent attacks of inflammation within the network of vessels that carries bile to the gut (the biliary tree), with a risk of liver abscesses, poisoning or failure.  Removal of the affected part is the treatment of choice when IHL is limited to individual segments or the left liver lobe.  When IHL affects the entire liver, a resection of the main involved area is recommended whenever possible. The available evidence indicates that those having liver resection have similar operative risks, fewer residual stones and a lower incidence of recurrent stones than those who don&amp;#039;t.  Any build up of pressure within the biliary tree can usually be quickly decompressed by drainage via a telescope (endoscope) or by passing a needle into the liver through the skin.  Ideally, treatment should aim to improve the flow of bile and remove all the stones. Although liver resection promises the best long term results, there are a whole host of other surgical techniques that can be employed depending on the individual patient&amp;#039;s circumstances and which can be combined with techniques that break down troublesome calculi.  The risk of stone recurrence is particularly high in patients with associated narrowing of the biliary system. Inserting a tube into the system in order to relieve a blockage in the short or long term appears to be a promising approach in these individuals. The best way to manage liver stones remains a challenging task that requires an experienced team of people, including gastroenterologists, surgeons and radiologists. Best wishes for your investigations and any surgery that may be required. Yours sincerely The NetDoctor Medical Team  Other Qs &amp;amp;amp; As Can I be a liver donor? Feeling sick after gallbladder operation Gallbladder problems How can I reduce the pain of gallstones? I&amp;#039;m worried about alcohol abuse and liver damage Is there a clear link between pancreatitis and diabetes? Liver damage and statins Nausea after gallbladder operation Pancreatitis Raised liver function Treatment for gallstones What happens to bile if you don&amp;#039;t have a gallbladder? What is cholangitis? What is a fatty liver? What is cirrhosis of the liver? What is the treatment for gallstones? Will my gallstones return?  Last updated 19.09.2010 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ask-the-expert/liver-kidney-and-urinary-system/a2969/liver-stones/>