BACKGROUND: the aim of the present study is to evaluate the incidence of cholelithiasis on necropsies performed at the Unicamp Clinical Hospital and relate them to other associated diseases. METHOD: The authors analyzed the incidence of cholelithiasis on 2355 autopsies performed at the Pathological Anatomy Department of UNICAMP, between 1975 and 1998, among patients older than 10 years old. Chi-square and odds ratio tests were used to analyze correlation with other diseases. RESULTS: There were 243 (10,3%) cases of cholelithiasis, in 110 men (7,9%) and 133 (13,6%) women (p=0,00001), a proportion of 1:17. This incidence increased with age (p<0,000000001), and differed significantly between ethnical groups being, 195 (11,1%) among whites and 48 (7,8%) among non whites (p=0,02). Regarding other hepatic diseases, estheatosis was present in 33 (13,5%), malignant neoplasms in 31 (12,7%); cirrhosis in 30 (12,3%), virus hepatitis and cronical liver congestion in 16 each (6,5%). Malignant neoplasm, liver infarction, and hepatic dystrophic disease showed a significantly statistical association with the incidence of cholelithiasis. Only seven (0,29%) cases of gallbladder cancer were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show a progressive raise on the incidence of cholelitiasis with aging, being more common on the population over 80 years old, and with a white ethnical background.
Cholelithiasis; Gallbladder; Necropsies
