effect of stone size on the frequency of biliary pain

ABSTRACT

This study was aimed at assessing the relationship between cystic duct and stone diameter with the frequency of biliary pain A prospective study of 30 patients admitted for cholecystectomy due to symptomatic cholelithiasis. The pattern of their frequency of pain was recorded since the first attack until admission and related to the diameters of their gallbladder stones and cystic ducts.Patients with a cystic duct diameter of 5 mm or less had more frequent attacks of pain per week than those with a diameter more than 5 mm [p = 0.0003]. The smaller the cystic duct diameter, the smaller the stone diameter [p<0.0001], and the smaller the stone the more frequent are the attacks of pain [p = 0.0001]. This study showed that there is a significant relationship between the frequency of biliary pain and the size of stone and the diameter of cystic duct. This observation may give a useful clue to surgeons in arranging priorities for operations