Changes in demographic features of gallstone disease: 30 years of surgically treated patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the clinical and demographical characteristics of gallstone disease in Korea, based on 30 years of surgically treated patients at a single institute. METHODS: In total, 7,949 gallstone patients who underwent surgery between 1981 and 2010 were analyzed. Patients were divided into six time periods: period I (1981 to 1985, n=831), period II (1986 to 1990, n=888), period III (1991 to 1995, n=1,040), period IV (1996 to 2000, n=1,261), period V (2001 to 2005, n=1,651) and period VI (2006 to 2010, n=2,278). RESULTS: The total number and mean age of the patients gradually increased, and the male/female ratio decreased. The proportion of gallbladder (GB)-stone cases increased, whereas the proportions of common bile duct (CBD)- and intrahepatic duct (IHD)-stone cases decreased. Differences in patient geographical origins also decreased. Based on the relationship between changes in the prevalence of gallstone disease and socioeconomic status, the prevalence of CBD stones showed a strong correlation with Engel's coefficient (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that although the total number of cases and the mean age of gallstone patients have continuously increased, there are trends of increasing GB-stone cases and decreasing CBD- and IHD-stone cases.

[Clinical and epidemiological analysis of gallstone patients focused on 25-year experience of surgically treated patients].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the epidemiologic changing patterns of gallstone diseases in Korea during past 25 years. METHODS: A total of 5,671 gallstone patients who underwent surgery in our center during 1981-2005 were analyzed. The patients were divided into 5 periods: period I (1981-1985, n=831), period II (1986-1990, n=888), period III (1991-1995, n=1,040), period IV (1996-2000, n=1,261) and period V (2001-2005, n=1,651). Korean literatures published from 1961 to 2005 were reviewed to elucidate the nationwide trends of gallstone diseases. RESULTS: Number of gallstone disease cases were gradually increasing. Female predominance was not noted (male/female ratio, 1.07-1.37). Patients with common bile duct (CBD) stone were older than those with gallbladder (GB) stone or intrahepatic duct (IHD) stone. During past 25 years, relative proportion of GB stone cases increased from 53.0% to 89.7%, while that of CBD stone cases decreased from 68.0% to 15.1%. Relative proportion of IHD stone patients remained stationary. In rural areas, tendency of increasing GB stone and decreasing CBD stone disappeared since period III. However, in urban areas, these tendencies remained till period V. Relative frequency of IHD stone group remained unchanged in two areas. The body mass indexes of the GB stone group, CBD stone group, and IHD stone group were higher than that of the average population. CONCLUSIONS: In gallstone disease, increasing tendency of GB stone and decreasing tendency of CBD stone in rural area have disappeared. However, relative frequency of IHD stone is still high in Korea.

[Clinical and epidemiological analysis of a 20-year experience of surgically treated gallstone patients].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and changing patterns of gallstone disease over the last 20 years. METHODS: Four thousands and twenty gallstone patients who had received surgery at Seoul National University Hospital (1981 to approximately 2000) were analyzed according to time of treatment; period I: 1981 to approximately 1985 (831 cases), period II: 1986 to approximately 1990 (888 cases), period III: 1991 to approximately 1995 (1,040 cases) and period IV: 1996 to approximately 2000 (1,261 cases). Data from 13 institutes in Korea reporting 13,101 gallstone cases were also reviewed with literature to elucidate the nation-wide trends. RESULTS: The number of gallstone cases has gradually increased. A female-predominance was not observed (F/M=1.17-1.37). The CBD stone patients were older than the GB and the IHD stone patients. Over the study period, the relative portion of the GB stone group increased. The portion of CBD stone group decreased, while that of the IHD stone group was unchanged. The rural pattern of gallstone disease (low GB stone, high CBD and IHD stone) has become similar to the urban pattern. Such patterns are well agreed with the other literature reported in Korea. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of gallstone disease in Korea has become similar to that in Western countries except a high prevalence of hepatolithiasis.