[(Incidence of gallstone disease in autopsy material and outpatients from West Germany) ]

The incidence of cholelithiasis and rate of cholecystectomy has been studied in three differently selected groups: first, in 3842 autopsies during the years 1969-1977, second, in 6564 patients who underwent to x-ray examination during 1970-1974 for various reasons; third in 163 patients aged over 50 years referred for reasons other than abdominal discomfort. The incidence of dyspeptic symptoms was registered in the patients of the last group. The rate of cholelithiasis and cholecystectomy in the first group corresponds well to that in the second group. In men and women over 60 years, who had been referred to the outpatients clinic for reasons not related to abdominal pain, the rate of cholelithiasis was 33% and 42% respectively. This finding corresponds to that of the first and second group. There was no difference in the incidence of dyspeptic symptoms among the patients of the last group with and without cholelithiasis. The results suggests that in the old patients the incidence of silent gallstones increases, but that the rate of cholecystectomy did not.