Gall bladder disease: an analytical report of 250 cases

Two hundred and fifty cases of biliary tract disease were studied as regards case history, physical and laboratory investigations, surgery and follow-up. It was found that females especially multipara were frequently affected; majority of cases were in 3rd to 5th decade of their life, rise in age showing decline in incidence. Majority of cases (82.4%) were vegetarians and had used vegetable fats (oriental diet). Most of the cases (98.8%) belonged to middle and poor class and were lean and thin. Pain in the right upper quadrant of the anterior abdominal wall had been the commonest symptom, in about half the cases it got aggravated by fatty meals. A mass was felt in the right hypochondrium in 29.6% and Murphy's sign was positive in 55.5% of cases. Radio-opaque calculi were present in 8% of cases, in another 10.8% the calculi were demonstrated by oral cholecystography, radiography could detect calculi in 47 (25.4%) cases and its overall diagnostic success rate has been low (56.8%). Ultrasonography proved more valuable tool for diagnosis; bile culture was positive in 8.8% of cases only for Esch coli, proteus, klebsiella, staphylococci or paracolon. Right subcostal incision gave the best results. Chronic cholecystitis with cholelithiasis (74%) was more common than acalculus cholecystitis (26%), incidence of carcinoma was 2.8%, and in 5 out of 7 cases malignancy was associated with cholelithiasis. Early diagnosis and cholecystectomy for gallstones can prevent malignancy. Surgery on the whole proved beneficial and it can be more rewarding if pre-operatively other causes of dyspepsia are either excluded or confirmed. Excluding cases of malignancy, the mortality has been quite low and thus acceptable.