Clinical and biochemical study of 114 cases of cholelithiasis

During a period of 16 months 114 patients with cholelithiasis were studied. The diagnosis was confirmed by cholecystogram in 41 cases, by surgery in 28 and both surgery and the x-ray in 45 cases. There were 100 females and 14 males and their average age was 43.2 years. The average number of pregnancies in females was 6.5. Clinically the jaundice was observed in 9 percent and the gall bladder was palpable in 47 percent of cases. Cholelithiasis appeared to be related to increased parity but not to the body weight

Gall-stone composition and biochemical alterations in the serum of patients with cholelithiasis

The levels of cholesterol, calcium and bilirubin were determined in the seruih and gall stones in 47 cases with cholelithiasis. The mixed stones were observed in 87.5 percent, high cholesterol stone in 8.5 percent and high bilirubin stones in 4.2 percent. Serum and stone cholesterol levels were inversely proportional and the bilirubin levels were directly proportional to each other

Hepatitis and hepatitis B surface antigen in health-care personnel

The frequency of hepatitis, Hepatitis B surface antigen [HbsAg] and antibody [HbsAb] among health care personnel [HCP] was 'compared with that of matched controls with no exposure to blood or blood products. Nine of the 11 HbsAg positive HCP but none of the controls presented with classical acute viral hepatitis. Hepatomegaly was present in 6 HbsAg positive HCP presenting with acute hepatitis while, it was absent in the solitary HbsAg positive control. Hepatic enlargement was noted in 36 [9.7 percent] HbsAg negative HCP and 4 [5.30 percent] controls. Serum transaminases abnormalities without the presence of HbsAg or HbsAb were present in 61 [16.7 percent] HCP and in 9 controls [12.3 percent]. The frequency of HBs antigen in 383 HCP was 2.8 percent and in 76 controls 1.3 percent. Frequency of antibody was 27.5 percent in HCP and 38.1 percent in controls by the RIA method and by the CIEP method it was 1.5 percent in the former and 3.9 percent in the latter indicating that the general population is more likely to develop antibodies probably due to exposure to the Hepatitis B virus in small doses by the non-parentral route