The prevalence of gallstone disease in a Dutch population

The prevalence of gallstone disease was studied by ultrasound screening of a hospital population of 424 men and 631 women, admitted to the University Hospital Maastricht (The Netherlands) for elective surgery unrelated to gallstone disease. The prevalence increased with age. In the oldest age category (70 to 79 years) 16% of the men and 40% of the women had gallstone disease. The proportion of subjects with gallstone disease who had undergone cholecystectomy was 39% in men and 50% in women. The prevalence of gallstone disease in Maastricht lies on the lower side within the range of prevalences found in other West European countries.