title: Prevalence and complications of gallstone disease among pregnant women in a Nigerian hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of gallstone disease and its complications among pregnant women in a semi-urban Nigerian setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive consenting pregnant women presenting at the prenatal clinic of a Nigerian tertiary hospital were recruited over an 18-month period. During routine obstetric ultrasound, the presence of gallstones and/or associated sequelae was investigated. Patients' sociodemographic data and hemoglobin genotype were documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 1283 pregnant women (14-43 years of age) were included in the study. Thirty-seven (2.9%) had sonographic evidence of gallstones, 26 (2%) had biliary sludge, and 2 (0.2%) had gallbladder polyps. Twenty-one (56.8%) of the 37 women with gallstones were 30 years of age or younger. Only 1 (1.2%) of 85 selected women in the first trimester of pregnancy with no gallstones who were followed throughout pregnancy developed gallstones in the third trimester. Overall, 3 (0.2%) women had clinical and radiologic evidence of acute calculous cholecystitis, 2 of whom underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy after delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrated a low prevalence of gallstone disease and its acute complications among pregnant Nigerian women in a semi-urban setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Bolanle O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Ibitoye
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Electronic address: wadisc@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Adewale O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Adisa
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olufemiwa N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Makinde
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Adebimpe O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Ijarotimi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D015995:Prevalence; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Complications; Gallstones; Pregnancy