Introduction.

To determine the probability of choledocholithiasis in patients with cholelithiasis and to predict if the biliary stones are located at the common bile duct is a challenge for surgeons. Decision making can increase costs, so it is necessary to define the utility of predictive scores in these cases.

Objective.

To validate the score to predict coledocolitiasis in patients with cholelithiasis developed by Domínguez, et al., in an external cohort in Medellín.

Material y methods.

2122 clinical records of patients with diagnosis of cholecystitis/ cholelithiasis were reviewed at the Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe. The Dominguez score was used to predict probability of choledocholithiasis and we calculated the use of resources and costs. Area under ROC curve was calculated.

Results.

201 patients (117 women and 84 men), with a mean age of 54 years were included. The frequency of choledocholithiasis was 19,9 %, distributed by risk groups: no risk, 0 %; low risk, 5,26 %; intermediate risk, 52,6 %, and high risk, 93,7 %. Area under ROC curve was 0,95 (IC95% 0,92-0,98). Regarding costs, overrun was: COP$ 7’010.000 in patients without risk, COP$ 44’013.500 in those with low risk and COP$ 977.500 in the high-risk group. In the intermediate risk group there was a saving of COP$ 26’829.000.

Conclusions.

The Dominguez score offer good performance to predict choledocholithiasis. If the score is used according to recommendations, unnecessary costs decrease and more rational use of resources is achieved.

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