ABSTRACT
Background: Gallstone disease is a world wide problem and remains to be one of the most common health problems leading to surgical intervention. The magnitude of Gallstone disease in Ethiopia is not well known. Objective: To assess the magnitude of gallbladder stones in Gondar university hospital among patients visiting at the department of radiology for ultrasound examination. Methods: A retrospective observational study design was used over the period of September 2004 to January 2006 at the department of radiology; Gondar university hospital. Patients above the age of 14 years and whose Gallbladder was examined by ultrasound were considered as the study subjects. Results: Among a total of 1603 study subjects; the proportion of patients with cholelithiasis was 5.2. Of the patients with gallstone disease 55 were females and 28 were males with a ratio of 2:1. The prevalence of cholelithiasis in the age group 35-64 was 7.3; 10.1for females and 4.8for males. The ratio of symptomatic to asymptomatic cholelithiasis was 1:1 (34/34). The prevalence of cholelithiasis among patients clinically suspected to have cholelithiasis was 27.2. Of the 68 patients with cholelithiasis; 22.1had evidences of complication; 5 (7.4) choledocholithiasis; 3 (4.4) acute cholecystitis; 4 (5.9) chronic cholecystitis; 2 with gallbladder (GB) hydrops and one patient with porcelain GB. Conclusion: The prevalence of cholelithiasis (5.2) in Gondar university hospital suggesting that cholelithiasis is not an uncommon disease in the area. A further community based and multi centered study is recommended to determine the prevalence of gallstone disease in Ethiopia