[Incidence of asymptomatic gallstones in hospital patients]

A total of 1512 hospital patients was screened by ultrasound to evaluate the prevalence of asymptomatic gallstones. Before ultrasound examination each patient filled in a form about his or her symptoms. In 1122 subjects no gallstones were found. 134 subjects had been cholecystectomized, 165 subjects had symptomatic and 91 subjects had asymptomatic gallstones, respectively. An asymptomatic gallstone was prospectively defined being "silent" when no abdominal complaints had occurred. Women had gallstones or cholecystectomy twice as often as men. 34% of the gallstones in men and 36% of the gallstones in women being asymptomatic. Seventy nine percent of the subjects with an asymptomatic stone did not know about their gallstones. The fraction of subjects with gallstones or cholecystectomy and the fraction of gallstones being asymptomatic, both increased with age. Nausea occurred in 5% of the subjects with asymptomatic gallstones, but in 39% of those with symptomatic gallstones or cholecystectomy. Subjects with asymptomatic gallstones complained about food intolerance significantly less often than subjects with symptomatic gallstones or subjects after cholecystectomy.