Gallbladder pathologies and cholelithiasis

OBJECTIVE: Cholecystectomy, mostly due to cholelithiasis is one of the most common surgical procedures utilizing a significant amount of healthcare resources. As there are a huge number of cases, for example approximately 300 cases per year in our region, outlines this commonly encountered lesion should be recorded. Also, in an attempt to delineate the outline of the pattern, age and sex distribution of gallbladder diseases in the whole Kingdom, a comparative analysis is also included in this study with 7 other studies published from different parts of the Kingdom.

METHODS: Our study consisted of 740 consecutive gallbladder cholecyctectomies mostly for cholelithiasis received in a time frame of 3.5 years (for example between January 1997 through to May 2000) by the Department of Histopathology retrieved from the records of the laboratory. The outline of main gallbladder pathologies was tabulated. The number of gallbladders received with stones was also calculated. Age and sex distribution for gallbladder pathology and gallstones was also tabulated.

RESULTS: There were 131 males (18%) and 609 (82%) females, with a female ratio male 4.6:1. Benign lesions comprised 99% (mean age 36), mostly chronic cholecyctitis (97%) and acute cholecystitis which constituted 15 cases only (2%), malignant lesions comprised only 7 cases for example 1% of all lesions (mean age 65).

CONCLUSION: Gallbladder pathologies are very common and similar results have been obtained from other studies by comparative analysis. The mean cholecystectomy rates in the Kingdom totalled approximately 10%, mean age for all cholecystectomy diseases in both sexes equalled 37.05. The mean age for males was 42.26, females 37.25 and their ratio was 44.5:1.