[Clinical and epidemiological analysis of a 20-year experience of surgically treated gallstone patients]

The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and changing patterns of gallstone disease over the last 20 years.

Four thousands and twenty gallstone patients who had received surgery at Seoul National University Hospital (1981 to approximately 2000) were analyzed according to time of treatment; period I: 1981 to approximately 1985 (831 cases), period II: 1986 to approximately 1990 (888 cases), period III: 1991 to approximately 1995 (1,040 cases) and period IV: 1996 to approximately 2000 (1,261 cases). Data from 13 institutes in Korea reporting 13,101 gallstone cases were also reviewed with literature to elucidate the nation-wide trends.

The number of gallstone cases has gradually increased. A female-predominance was not observed (F/M=1.17-1.37). The CBD stone patients were older than the GB and the IHD stone patients. Over the study period, the relative portion of the GB stone group increased. The portion of CBD stone group decreased, while that of the IHD stone group was unchanged. The rural pattern of gallstone disease (low GB stone, high CBD and IHD stone) has become similar to the urban pattern. Such patterns are well agreed with the other literature reported in Korea.

The pattern of gallstone disease in Korea has become similar to that in Western countries except a high prevalence of hepatolithiasis.