Experience with cholelithiasis in patients with sickle cell disease in Nigeria.

Sickle cell anemia, like other chronic hemolytic states, predisposes to cholelithiasis. However, it seems that other factors, apart from the consequent hyperbilirubinemia, contribute to this predisposition. This concept is supported by the fact that while cholelithiasis is very common among North American sickle cell patients, it is not so common in African patients. It is now believed that African sickle cell patients are protected from developing gallstones because of their low dietary intake of cholesterol and low intake of refined fiber-depleted foods. A review of all the published work on cholelithiasis, in Nigerians in general and sickle cell patients in particular, is presented in this article. A comparison is made with similar studies carried out in North America.