FREQUENCY OF CHOLELITHIASIS IN ALCOHOLICS

In order to determine the frequency of biliary lithiasis in alcoholic patients without signs of hepatic cirrhosis, we submitted 106 male alc oholics (mean age, 42.2 +/- 11.2 years) to ultrasound examination of t he biliary system. Cholelithiasis was present in 6 (5.6%). We did not observe any association between the quantity of ethanol consumed and/o r the time of consumption and the presence of cholelithiasis. There wa s no significant difference between the frequency of cholelithiasis in these patients and that found in autopsies carried out on 716 male pa tients (6%) at the Hospital de Clinicas, Universidade Federal de Uberl andia, during the period 1982 to 1993. Thus, we conclude that in the c ases we examined, alcoholism did not represent a risk factor for bilia ry lithogenesis.