Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jan-Dec;18(1):e70036.
doi: 10.1111/ases.70036.

Management of Cholelithiasis in Children With Associated Diseases: Should Prophylactic Cholecystectomy Be Recommended?-A Retrospective Analysis

Alessandro Boscarelli  1 , Manuela Giangreco  2 , Daniela Codrich  1 , Silvia Perin  3 , Elena Madonia  3 , Edoardo Guida  1 , Jürgen Schleef  1
Affiliations

Management of Cholelithiasis in Children With Associated Diseases: Should Prophylactic Cholecystectomy Be Recommended?-A Retrospective Analysis

Alessandro Boscarelli et al. Asian J Endosc Surg. 2025 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Cholelithiasis is increasing in the pediatric population, and there are currently no guidelines for the management of asymptomatic patients with both cholelithiasis and a predisposing condition. This study seeks to highlight situations where prophylactic cholecystectomy may be desirable. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of children who underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy between October 2011 and September 2022. Thirty-two patients were included in the study. Five different groups of patients were identified based on associated pathologies. Twenty-six patients were symptomatic (81.25%), and six were asymptomatic (18.75%). All patients underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Hematologic and cystic fibrosis patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis had a shorter length of hospital stay than patients with the same condition who progressed from asymptomatic to symptomatic gallstone disease. Consequently, patients with associated diseases (particularly hematologic diseases and cystic fibrosis) may benefit from early laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which could reduce the probability of surgical difficulties and shorten the length of hospital stay.

Keywords: children; cystic fibrosis; hematological disorders; management; symptomatic cholelithiasis.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. M. C. Y. Wong, F. Incerti, S. Avanzini, et al., “Cholelithiasis Management in a Third‐Level Pediatric Center: Case Series and Literature Review,” Updates in Surgery 74, no. 3 (2022): 963–968, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13304‐021‐01227‐9.
    1. K. Bhaumik, “Asymptomatic Cholelithiasis in Children: Management Dilemma,” Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons 26, no. 4 (2021): 228–233, https://doi.org/10.4103/jiaps.JIAPS_107_20.
    1. C. Della Corte, D. Falchetti, G. Nebbia, et al., “Management of Cholelithiasis in Italian Children: A National Multicenter Study,” World Journal of Gastroenterology 14, no. 9 (2008): 1383–1388, https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.14.1383.
    1. S. Diez, H. Müller, C. Weiss, V. Schellerer, and M. Besendörfer, “Cholelithiasis and Cholecystitis in Children and Adolescents: Does This Increasing Diagnosis Require a Common Guideline for Pediatricians and Pediatric Surgeons?,” BMC Gastroenterology 21, no. 1 (2021): 186, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876‐021‐01772‐y.
    1. D. N. Assis and D. Debray, “Gallbladder and Bile Duct Disease in Cystic Fibrosis,” Journal of Cystic Fibrosis 16 (2017): S62–S69, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcf.2017.07.006.

LinkOut - more resources