Role of Individualized Homoeopathic Medicine in Management of Cholesterosis of Gallbladder: A Case Report

Abstract

Cholesterosis of gallbladder is defined as the excessive accumulation of cholesterol esters and triglyceride within gallbladder epithelium. It is usually a benign condition often incidentally detected during ultrasonography of abdomen and usually symptomless but some patients complain of dull, right upper quadrant or epigastric pain resembling biliary pain and are found subsequently to have cholesterosis or gallbladder inflammation post cholecystectomy. There is no medical therapy for cholesterosis in conventional method of treatment, if the patient having symptoms, cholecystectomy is indicated. A 67-year-old male presented with complaints of occasional dull aching pain in right hypochondrium for two years along with headache, heartburn, dyspepsia, flatulence almost on daily basis. The diagnosis was made as cholesterosis of gallbladder characterized by comet tail artifacts on ultrasound. After allopathic treatment for few months the patient was advised for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, then he opted for homeopathy. On first visit, Natrum muriaticum 200C, 2 doses on consecutive 2 days were prescribed and the patient was followed up periodically for 4 months. Following treatment, ultrasonography after 4 months revealed no abnormality and the comet tail artifacts were no longer present with improvement of overall health. The Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homoeopathy (MONARCH) score of +08 suggests a high likelihood of a causal relationship between the homeopathic treatment and the patient's improvement. This case report highlights the potential of individualized homeopathic medicine in managing cholesterosis of the gallbladder, offering a non-invasive alternative to surgery. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings and explore the scope of homeopathy in similar cases.