Cholelithiasis in patients on the kidney transplant waiting list.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence of cholecystopathy in chronic renal patients awaiting kidney transplants.


BACKGROUND
The prevalence and management of cholelithiasis in renal transplant patients is not well established.


METHODS
A total of 342 chronic renal failure patients on the waiting list for a kidney transplant were studied. Patients were evaluated for the presence of cholelithiasis and related symptoms, previous cholecystectomies and other abdominal surgeries, time on dialysis, and general data (gender, age, number of pregnancies, and body mass index).


RESULTS
Cholelithiasis was found in 41 out of 342 patients (12%). Twelve of these patients, all symptomatic, had previously undergone cholecystectomies. Five out of 29 patients who had not undergone surgery were symptomatic. Overall, 17 patients (41.5%) were symptomatic. Their mean age was 54 (range 32-74) years old; 61% were female, and their mean body mass index was 25.4. Nineteen (76%) out of 25 women had previously been pregnant, with an average of 3.6 pregnancies per woman.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of cholelithiasis was similar to that reported in the literature for the general population. However, the high frequency of symptomatic patients points toward an indication of routine pre-transplant cholecystectomy to avoid serious post-transplant complications.
Brito
André Thiago Scandiuzzi
AT
Disciplina de Cirurgia do Aparelho Digestivo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Azevedo
Luiz Sergio
LS
Nahas
Willian Carlos
WC
Matheus
André Siqueira
AS
Jukemura
José
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014850:Waiting Lists
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