Abnormal liver function tests in acute cholecystitis; the predicting of common duct stones

In a prospective series of 155 patients with acute cholecystitis preoperative liver function tests were determined with the aim of predicting the presence of common duct stones. Elevated serum bilirubin, aminotransferases and alkaline phosphatase levels were observed in 32, 34 and 22% of cases, respectively. The frequency of common duct stones was 17.4%. The sensitivity of bilirubin and aminotransferases with regard to ductal stones was higher (70-81%), but alkaline phosphatase showed the best predictive values (46%). The probability of common duct stones increased with higher degrees of elevation in the case of alkaline phosphatase, but not in the case of bilirubin or aminotransferases, A frequency of 31-67% of choledocholithiasis was found when one or all of the tests were positive. After random assignment the patients were operated on early or after delay. In the delayed surgery group more failures occurred in the conservative treatment of acute cholecystitis if the tests were elevated (36%) than if normal (15%, p less than 0.05). The frequencies of common duct stones were 11 and one in these groups (p less than 0.001). There was no increase in postoperative morbidity after early surgery (15%) compared with delayed surgery (22%, p greater than 0.1), when liver function was disturbed. Liver function tests thus allow patients with common duct stones to be selected for early surgery in acute cholecystitis.