Cholelithiasis in ileostomy patients

A retrospective study of 152 ileostomates with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) revealed that 16 patients (10.5 per cent) had diagnoses of cholelithiasis before, at the time of, or after having ileostomies. Of the remaining patients, 69 were followed for possible cholelithiasis, most of those with sonographic examination. Sixteen of this latter group of patients (23.2 per cent) were found to have cholelithiasis, usually in an asymptomatic stage. Among women over 50 years old, seven of 11 (63.6 per cent) had gallstones. Due to this high prevalence of cholelithiasis, gallbladder imaging is recommended as a part of the preoperative workup and follow-up of ileostomates. Prophylactic cholecystectomy may be carefully considered in female patients with IBD at the time of proctocolectomy.