ABSTRACT
Background: Gallstones (GS) in the gallbladder (GB) can be responsible for a whole spectrum of disease entities which may lead to a surgical emergency with high mortality. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a debilitating disease that affects all systems in the body; and literature documents a higher incidence of gallstone disease (GSD) and its complications in diabetics than in the non-diabetic population. Most local studies on the association between GS formation and DM have focused on type 2 diabetics. This study was therefore designed to determine the prevalence of GS in both type 1 and type 2 DM and elucidate the demographic and social factors associated with formation of GS in diabetic patients. Materials and Methods: Four hundred diabetic patients aged between 15 and 82 years had abdominal ultrasound to diagnose or exclude the presence of GS. Results: GS was found in 70 (17.5) of the 400 patients. Positive cases had a male to female ratio of 3:4 and 59 (51.92) were above the age of 40 years with type 2 DM. Body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m 2 was seen in 56 (48.3) patients; smoking and alcohol intake were insignificantly implicated. Jaundice was recorded in 8 (11.4) while abdominal pain was in 24 (34.3) patients; and 52 (74.3) patients of those with GSD had had diabetes for more than 4 years. Conclusion: GSD in DM is influenced significantly by age; BMI; and duration of the disease; while gender; social factors; and parity do not influence as strong associated factors