Intestinal metaplasia in gallbladders: prevalence study.
OBJECTIVE
Gallbladder cancer is usually diagnosed at a late stage and generally results in death. Discovery of predisposing factors for this neoplasia could prevent this outcome. In this study, we assess the presence of one of these factors: intestinal metaplasia in gallbladders with stones and inflammatory processes.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study in Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo.


METHODS
The first 80 gallbladders from patients who underwent elective cholecystectomy between April and August 2002, presenting stones and chronic inflammation, were studied. The patients were divided into groups according to their age: CC1, from 15 to 40 years; CC2, from 41 to 60 years; and CC3, from 61 to 85 years.


RESULTS
Twenty-one patients (26%) were male, while 59 (74%) were female. In the group CC1, intestinal metaplasia was present in 85.71% of the 21 patients studied; in CC2, in 79.41% of 34 patients; and in CC3, in 56.00% of 25 patients. These differences presented statistical significance (p = 0.04542).


CONCLUSIONS
Intestinal metaplasia is extremely frequent in gallbladders with inflammation and lithiasis, especially in younger patients.
Postgraduate Program for Surgical Gastroenterology, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. gastrocor@gastrocor.med.br
José Eduardo Vasconcelos
JE
Fernandes
Maria Isete Fares
MI
Franco
Reinaldo Kenji
RK
Suzuki
Nelson Mattos
NM
Tavares
Sansom Henrique
SH
Bromberg
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D041761:Cholecystolithiasis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult