Gallstones: Site, Size, Number, Prevalence and Complications by Ultrasonography

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the common sites, sizes, number, complications and the prevalence of gallstones at Almadinah Almunawwarah in Saudi Arabia that is a common medical problem in this region even in young adults and not satisfied by enough previous studies. This was a descriptive retrospective study in which screening of 1018 case from the PACS system was done for gallstones. Those patients were subjected to abdominal ultrasound (US) imaging. The collected data analyzed by using the Microsoft word 2013 and SPSS. The prevalence of gallstones in this study is 18-23.5% and exactly 69.57% of gallstones were in females and 30.43% in males. Gallstones increase with age to peak in elderly. Approximately 58.15% of gallstones were multiple stones in the gallbladder and 39.13% were solitary stone. Nearly 61.41% were mobile stones in the gallbladder, 11.41% were impacted stones in the neck of the GB and 13% of the gallstones were filling the whole lumen of the GB. Approximately 60.66% of gallstones were 5 to 20 mm in the largest diameter, 20.77% less than 5 mm and only 15.30% were larger than 20 mm. The conclusion is gallstones are a common problem in Saudi Arabia and the ratio of cholecystectomy is high. Gallstones affect female twice as they affect males. Multiple stones of the GB are more common than solitary. Most cases of gallstones are mobile stones, filling the GB or impacted in the neck of the gallbladder. Most cases of gallstones are 5-20 mm in size.