title: Physiopathologic role of microlithiasis in gallstone pancreatitis.
abstract: A study of 108 patients with acute or acute relapsing gallstone pancreatitis was carried out in order to evaluate the incidence of biliary lithiasis and microlithiasis. The severity of pancreatic damage associated with both clinical states and the physicochemical characteristics of the minute stones were also evaluated. The results suggest that the risk of acute pancreatitis is increased in patients with microlithiasis and that in patients with acute pancreatitis due to microlithiasis the lesions are more severe. These results warrant the conclusion that cholecystectomy should be performed upon all patients with echographically detected microlithiasis, even in the absence of symptoms. Early surgical treatment must be performed whenever pancreatitis develops.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000032:analysis / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk