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  • Title: [Occult gallbladder disease or microlithiasis in patients with acute pancreatitis: a frequent clinical event].
    Author: Miquel JF, Prado A, Asahi H, Ibáñez L, Guzmán S, Cruz F, Rollán A, Nervi F.
    Journal: Rev Med Chil; 1997 Aug; 125(8):869-78. PubMed ID: 9580486.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) and a normal gallbladder by standard echographic evaluation may have "occult" gallbladder disease or microlithiasis with recurrent episodes of AP. AIM: To conduct a prospective evaluation of patients with the diagnosis of non-biliary AP in order to detect "occult" gallbladder disease and to compare its clinical presentation with that of biliary AP. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients admitted with the diagnosis of AP to a clinical hospital were included in the study. According to an abdominal ultrasound study, patients were classified as having or not cholelithiasis. A duodenal biliary drainage was performed in 15 patients with AP and without gallbladder stones. RESULTS: Patients without cholelithiasis had recurrent AP more often than patients with biliary AP (53 and 3.3% respectively). Excessive alcohol ingestion did not rule out the possibility of biliary etiology. In 6 patients, the analysis of duodenal bile showed cholesterol crystals, and cholecystectomy confirmed the existence of gallbladder disease in 5. All of them remained asymptomatic during a follow-up period of four years. One patient refused surgery, with subsequent development of gallstones and recurrent episodes of AP. In other 4 patients, gallbladder disease was confirmed by percutaneous gallbladder puncture or during cholecystectomy. No recurrence of AP were observed during the follow-up CONCLUSIONS: Microlithiasis or "occult" gallbladder disease accounts for at least 67% of the original "non-biliary" AP. Duodenal bile analysis is a useful and necessary technique for the evaluation of patients with "non-biliary" acute pancreatitis. Careful clinical and echographic follow-up of this subgroup of patients with AP is mandatory.
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