title: Risk factors for the clinical course of cholecystitis in patients who undergo cholecystectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to evaluate risk factors for acute cholecystitis that have been previously acknowledged and to evaluate several co-morbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular accident and end-stage renal disease for which the prevalence rate has increased in the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 611 patients who underwent laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy for cholecystitis between January 2005 and January 2010. The relationships between the clinical outcomes and the clinico-demographic factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The diagnoses of the 611 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy were acute cholecystitis (n=258; 42.2%) and chronic cholecystitis (n=353; 57.8%). Male gender (p<0.000), age >50 (p<0.000), fever (p<0.000), leukocytosis (p<0.000), AST elevation (p=0.009), alkaline phosphatase elevation (p<0.000) and an elevation of total bilirubin (p<0.000) were identified as risk factors for acute cholecystitis. The presence of diabetes mellitus (p=0.002) and hypertension (p=0.019) may be risk factors for acute cholecystitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For patients with risk factors for acute cholecystitis, early management, that is, early checkup and diagnosis following early cholecystectomy, is recommended before the disease progresses to an acute form of cholecystitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Sol
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Chul-Woon
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kwon
keywords: Cholecystectomy; Cholecystitis; Risk factor