DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2013.v01i06.002

Pages: 664-667

Gallbladder stone disease accounts for many hospital admissions and surgical interventions in our local population. Our main objective was to evaluate the relationship between age as a risk factor and gallstones in our local population. A cross-sectional study included all cholecystectomized patients after acceptance of the pregiven informed consent. The stones were divided into 3 groups depending upon their colours: pale yellow and whitish stones as cholesterol calculi, black and blackish brown as pigment calculi and brownish yellow or greenish with laminated features as mixed calculi. The collected data was handled statistically using SPSS computer program version 21. The stone-types were correlated with patients’ age groups using the Student’s test and/or Chi-square test when appropriate. The confidence level was set at 95% CI and p values less than 0.05 were statistically considered significant. The study included 94 patients (6 (6.4%) males and 88 (93.6%) females) with female to male ratio of 14.7:1; Chi-square = 1189.64, p<0.0001. Their mean age was 45.9 years (SD ± 10.3) (Range, 27 to 80 years). The majority of patients were from the age group 31-50 years (64 patients (68.08%)), while it was rare in patients < 30 and elderly patients > 70 years. The pigment calculi were the commonest as found in 48 (51.07%) patients. The highest incidence of gallstones was found in age group 41-50 and 31-40 years in 43.6% and 24.5% respectively (p< 0.05). From the study it can be concluded that age appears to have an effect on the incidence of gallstone disease.