Abstract

GOMEZ, Martín; OTERO, William  and  RINCON, Jaime. Frequency of cholelithiasis in GERD, dyspepsia and asymptomatic patients. Rev Col Gastroenterol [online]. 2007, vol.22, n.3, pp.164-172. ISSN 0120-9957.

INTRODUCTION. The acid-peptic disease (APD) includes basically two entities: gastroesophagic reflux disease (GERD) and functional dyspepsia (FD). The incidence and prevalence of cholelithiasis is unknown, since most of the patients are asymptomatic. Keeping in mind the high prevalence of these three entities in the general population, and the controversies on the associations among asymptomatic cholelithiasis with FD and GERD, we decided to perform a prospective study, to determine the frequency of asymptomatic biliary lithiasis in patients with FD and GERD, and to compare it with the prevalence in people without APD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the study we included patients referred to upper digestive endoscopy (UDE) and patients referred for renal, pelvic or soft tissues echography without dyspepsia or GERD symptoms. To all of these patients and hepatobiliary echography was performed to exclude lithiasis. Patients with biliary pain or jaundice, acolia or coluria history, were excluded. The population was divided in four groups: I: FD, II: Patients with erosive esophagitis, III: Ulcerous dyspepsia, IV: asymptomatic patients. RESULTS: 103 patients with APD and 52 asymptomatic patients were recruited. Age average was 47.9 +/- 18 years, 65% women. The number of patients in each group was: I: 57, II: 15, III: 17, IV: 52 patients. Cholelithiasis was found in 21% patients of group I vs. 5.8% patients in group IV (asymptomatic) p=0.02. Lithiasis was not found in any of the patients of group III (peptic ulcer). The lithiasis prevalence was not significantly different among patients with FD and esophagitis, p=0.05. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of asymptomatic lithiasis in patients with GERD and in patients with FD is most frequent that among patients without APD symptoms.

Keywords : Cholelithiasis; GERD; dyspepsia; UDE.

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