Gallstone disease prevalence in Western Siberia: cross-sectional ultrasound study versus autopsy

Abstract

Background: The aims of this study were: (i) to evaluate the prevalence of gallstones in a Western Siberian urban population; and (ii) to compare the results of ultrasonographic screening of the living population with hospital autopsy data.

Methods: A representative sample of 842 men and 870 women (aged 25-64 years) living in Novosibirsk, Western Siberia, was screened for the presence of gallstones by gallbladder ultrasonography. Participants were considered to have gallstone disease if they had already had cholecystectomy or if gallstones were revealed during the survey. Hospital autopsy data (n = 1124) were reviewed retrospectively for the 8-year period in the same region.

Results: The prevalence of gallstone disease was significantly higher in women than in men and increased with age. Age-adjusted prevalence rates of gallstone disease for the 25-64-year age group were 1.9% in men and 9.5% in women in a cross-sectional ultrasonographic study. Corresponding values in the autopsy series were 2.2% in men and 11.2% in women.

Conclusions: The present report shows that the prevalence of gallstone disease in the female population is in the range of that reported from Western countries, whereas that in the male population is lower than that in other countries. The results of the ultrasonographic survey of the living population and of hospital autopsy data were comparable, with slightly higher gallstone detection rates in the autopsy study.