Relation between the risk of gallstone pancreatitis and characteristics ofgallstone in Korea

Background/Aims: Pancreatitis is a serious complication of patients with ga llstones. However, risk factors of gallstone pancreatitis were unpredictabl e until recently. In Korea, characteristics of gallstones are different fro m Western countries. The present study was designed to determine difference s in the risk of gallstone pancreatitis and characteristics of gallstones i n Korean patients. Methodology: Clinical data were collected on patients undergoing laparoscop ic cholecystectomy. The physical characteristics of gallstones recovered at surgery were also recorded. Patients with gallstone pancreatitis were comp ared with patients who had uncomplicated biliary pain. Results: In a logistic regression model, acute gallstone pancreatitis was a ssociated with a stone diameter of less than 5mm (odds ratio: 3.3695; P=0.0 352) and with stone number of more than 20 (odds ratio: 3.8686; P=0.0361). No other variable, including pigment stone, age, and sex, remained statisti cally significant in the adjusted analysis (P>0.05). Conclusions: Patients with at least 1 gallstone smaller than 5mm in diamete r and stone number more than 20 each have a more than 3-fold increased risk of presenting with acute gallstone pancreatitis. The composition of gallst ones, especially pigment stones, was not an important risk factor in gallst one pancreatitis in Korean patients with stones having a different composit ion than those from Western countries.