Clinico-pathological spectrum of gallbladder disease in children.
OBJECTIVE
Because of wide variation in clinico-pathological spectrum of gallbladder disease in children the world over, the data of gallbladder disease from this stone belt of India were analysed.


METHODS
Children who underwent cholecystectomy over a period of 8 years January 2002-December 2009 were reviewed.


RESULTS
Out of 7076 cholecystectomies, 56 (0.79%) were in children. Thirty-nine (69.6%) children were 11-16 years of age. Thirty-seven (66.07%) children were girls and nineteen (33.9%) were boys. In 12 (21.4%) children, cholecystitis was acalculus. Five (8.9%) children had associated haemolytic disease and 4 (7.1%) children had congenital anomaly in the form of choledochal cyst. Ultrasound findings were available in 44 cases and showed cholelithiasis in 36 cases. Twenty-two (39.3%) children had mixed cholelithiasis, 8 (14.2%) pigment cholelithiasis, 10 (17.8%) combined cholelithiasis and 4 (7.1%) patients had small concretions. Microscopically, changes of chronic cholecystitis were seen in 98.2% while 1.7% showed acute on chronic cholecystitis. There was single unusual case of cysticercus in the wall of the gallbladder.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of gallstone disease is 0.79%. Nonhaemolytic type of cholelithiasis is more common than haemolytic type in this region. Presence of cysticercus in the gallbladder wall in one case was an unexpected finding.
Punia
R P S
RP
Department of Pathology and General Surgery, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, India. drpunia@gmail.com
Garg
Shailja
S
Bisht
Bhumika
B
Dalal
Usha
U
Mohan
Harsh
H
D042101:Acalculous Cholecystitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D041761:Cholecystolithiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015529:Choledochal Cyst / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies