Cholecystectomy: indications at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.
OBJECTIVE
The relative rarity of gallbladder disease has been documented in various parts of Africa. Recently the incidence has been reported as rising in some African countries. We undertook this study to evaluate the indications for cholecystectomy in our center and compare with others.


METHODS
This is a retrospective study of 18 open cholecystectomies in 10 years.


RESULTS
The ages ranged from 13 and 65 years (mean 39.2 years). There were 15 females and 3 males (F:M? = ?ratio 5:1). Calculous cholecystitis 9 (50%) in patients, acalculous cholecystitis 8 (44.4%) and a patient with carcinoma of the gallbladder were offered cholecystectomy. The commonest stone was mixed multiple stones.


CONCLUSIONS
The numbers of cholecystectomies attest to the rarity of gallbladder disease in this environment. This may be due to the high fiber and low cholesterol diet predominant in this costal population in southern Nigeria.
Asuquo
M E
ME
Department of Surgery, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria. mauefas@yahoo.com
Umoh
M S
MS
Nwagbara
V
V
Inyang
A
A
Agbor
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies