title: Gallstone disease in an Ethiopian referral hospital.
abstract: Sixty-four patients suspected radiologically to have gallstone disease were evaluated for clinical symptoms, physical findings and laboratory abnormalities. Fifty-three of them had ultrasound examination which confirmed the diagnosis in 52 (98.1%). An attempt was also made to identify possible predisposing factors. Sixty of these patients underwent cholecystectomies, with common duct exploration in 10 of them. On visual assessment at surgery, 96.6% of the stones were thought to be cholesterol in type. X-ray powder diffraction analysis of 30 different samples confirmed all to be cholesterol. We conclude that cholesterol gallstone disease, presenting with the usual clinical features, is a common health problem among Ethiopians. We feel that ultrasonography should be used more often for the diagnosis of this disease.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kefene
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oljo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Desta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teklemariam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol