Prevalence of cholelithiasis in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

AIM

To investigate the effect of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (CIBD) specific risk factors for cholecystolithiasis, as duration and involvement pattern of the disease and prior surgery in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

METHODS

A total of 222 patients with CD (135 females, 87 males; average age, 35.8+/-11.8 years; range 17-81 years) and 88 patients with UC (39 females, 49 males; average age, 37.2+/-13.6 years; range 16-81 years) underwent clinical and ultrasound examinations. Besides age, sex and degree of obesity, patients' CIBD specific parameters, including duration and extent of disease and prior operations were documented and evaluated statistically using logistic regression.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of gallbladder stone disease in patients with CD was 13% (n = 30). Only age could be shown to be an independent risk factor (P = 0.014). Compared to a collective representative for the general population in the same geographic region, the prevalence of cholecystolithiasis was higher in all corresponding age groups. Patients with UC showed an overall prevalence of gallbladder stone disease of only 4.6%.

CONCLUSION

Disease-specific factors such as duration and extent of disease, and prior surgery are independent risk factors for the development of cholecystolithiasis in patients with CIBD.