PREVALENCE OF CHOLELITHIASIS IN NONDIABETIC HEMODIALYSIS AND CONTINUOUS AMBULATORY PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS PATIENTS

Haemodialyzed (HD) patients have been found to have an increased bile cholesterol level and an increased saturation index in bile. These cha nges were markedly enhanced in the presence of a low-protein diet. To evaluate whether such changes influence the prevalence of cholelithias is in patients with endstage renal failure, real-time sonography was p erformed to detect the presence of gallstones (GS) in 54 HD (28 males, 26 females, mean age 52.4 +/- 15.4 years) and 39 continuous ambulator y peritoneal dialysis (CAPD; 22 males, 17 females, mean age 59.1 +/- 1 4.9 years) patients. No patient had diabetes. The patients' charts wer e reviewed for the following data: age, sex, primary renal disease, ob esity (20% above ideal weight), history suggestive of gallbladder dise ase or previous cholecystectomy, duration of dialysis, and serum chole sterol levels. Overall, cholelithiasis was documented in 12 of 93 (12. 9%) patients, 7 HD and 5 CAPD. When comparing the factors outlined abo ve, no significant difference was found between HD and CAPD patient gr oups, either with or without cholelithiasis. Gallbladder disease was a symptomatic in all except 1 patient who required cholecystectomy. Usin g a healthy control group consisting of local age-and sex-matched inha bitants, GS were found in 8 of 134 (6%) of them (p > 0.05). We conclud e that the prevalence rate of GS in our dialysis population (HD and CA PD) is similar to that of a local general population following a weste rn-style diet, irrespective of dialysis mode.