PREVALENCE OF DIGESTIVE SYMPTOMS IN NORMA L ADULTS WOMEN - ASSOCIATION WITH CHOLELITHIASIS

The aim of this work was to study the prevalence of biliary diseases a nd digestive symptoms in normal adult women. Four hundred nineteen wom en were chosen; of these 145 were discarded due to previous gastrointe stinal diseases (20), previous gastrointestinal complaints (38) and pr evious cholecystectomy (85). Two hundred seventy six women were subjec ted to abdominal ultrasound examination; of these 53 had cholelithiasi s and in three a gallbladder cancer was suspected (and confirmed by su rgery). Considering women with previous cholecystectomy, cholelithiasi s and gallbladder cancer, a 33.6% prevalence of biliary diseases can b e inferred. An interrogation about gastrointestinal symptoms was perfo rmed to women subjected to ultrasound examinations, by 2 professionals unaware of ultrasound results. A high frequency of pyrosis, food' int olerance and constipation was found, not observing differences between women with or without cholelithiasis. However, these last women had a higher frequency of upper abdominal pain. Both groups had also a high rate of previous surgical procedures.