ULTRASONIC EVALUATION OF CHOLELITHIASIS AND CHOLECYSTITIS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE PATIENTS AT DISTRICT HEADQUARTER HOSPITAL, DERA ISMAIL KHAN

Abstract

Background: Gallbladder disease represents a significant health care burden in the United States with up to 15% of the population affected. Gallstone-associated cystic duct obstruction is responsible for 90% to 95% of the cases of acute cholecystitis. Ultrasound is often useful because it aids in making the correct diagnosis and decreases time to diagnosis, thus reducing the likelihood of complications. Objective: Our objective were to determine the frequency of cholelithiasis and cholecystitis in men versus women ratio and justify ultrasound as a primary diagnostic tool for cholelithiasis patient. Methodology: The study was descriptive cross sectional and conducted at Radiology OPD of Medical Teaching Institute DHQ Hospital Dera Ismail Khan. We collected our data through questionnaire to find out the frequency of cholelithiasis and cholecystitis in men and female ratio and to justify ultrasound as a primary diagnostic tool for cholelithiasis. Results: We conducted a study involving 250 participants, of age 21 and above undergone ultrasonography with 100 males and 150 females. The largest age group was 41-50 years, while the smallest was 61-70 years. Our analysis of the BMI distribution revealed that a significant number of participants, specifically 96, were classified as overweight, comprising 37 males and 59 females. Among our participants, 210 were diagnosed with cholelithiasis and cholecystitis, while 40 had acalculous cholecystitis. Conclusion: In our study population, women are more frequently affected by cholelithiasis and cholecystitis compared to men. Our finding indicates that BMI is more strongly associated with females than males.