Gallstone disease in the Himalayas (Sikkim and north Bengal): causation and stone analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To know the extent of gallstone disease in Sikkim and North Bengal.


METHODS
487 (14.4%) patients with gallstones were diagnosed among 3375 patients with dyspepsia in 3 years. All patients with gallstone were evaluated based on a predefined questionnaire. Abdominal sonography was performed and obesity index was calculated. Gallstones retrieved at surgery from 29 patients were subjected to infra-red spectroscopic analysis.


RESULTS
The patients with gallstones included 375 women with average age of 40 years and 112 men with average age of 48.7 years. 15.7% of the women were nulliparous, 12% had one child and 23% had two children each. 73% of patients were of normal weight and 97% were non-vegetarians. Only cholesterol gallstones were found in these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Gallstones are common in Sikkim and North Bengal among dyspeptics. A majority of patients are of normal weight. The disease occurs a decade earlier in women, most of whom have only up to two children.
Kotwal
M R
MR
Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Referral Hospital, Gangtok, Sikkim.
Rinchen
C Z
CZ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D019160:Endosonography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012819:Sikkim / Q000453:epidemiology