[The frequency of gallstones in liver cirrhosis (author's transl)]

Out of 11 840 autopsies from 1940-1975 697 cases with cirrhosis of the liver were found. The percentages of gallstone disease in these cases was analyzed as compared to non - cirrhotic controls. 21,5% of cirrhotic patients had cholelithiasis versus 16,5% in the controls (p less than 0,001). In women 35,2% of cirrhotics versus 26,3% (p less than 0,01) and in men 16,2% versus 10,8% (p less than 0,001) were found with gallstones. Including cases with cholecystectomies the frequencies was 22,8% for cirrhosis and 19,9% for controls (men 16,9% versus 12,9%, women 37,7% versus 33,6%). These differences were not significant. The female to male ratio for the frequency of cholelithiasis was found to be 2,2 : 1 and was not altered as compared to be controls. In cirrhotic and control patients the frequency of cholelithiasis increased steadily with each decade of age, again more in women than in men. A tendency to higher frequencies for gallstones in cirrhotic patients was found from the 5th decade onwards, but this was not statistically significant.