CLINICAL PRESENTATION OF GALLSTONE DISEASE IN PEDIATRIC POPULATION ATTENDING A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Abstract

Gallstone disease is a fairly common disease prevalent in the society. Knowledge about the disease in the pediatric population is less. Children have prevalence of about 15-20% in western societies. The study was conducted in departments of Pediatrics and Surgery of ASCOMS and Hospital between November 2019 to October 2020. 100 pediatric patients who were identied having cholelithiasis constituted the study. A detailed medical history, feeding history and family history were taken. Clinical examination and relevant investigations were done. Sonography of abdomen was done for the diagnosis of the disease.A total of 100 children were involved in the study among which 44 were males while 56 were females most of them belonged to the age group of 6-15 years. The most common clinical presentation was right upper quadrant pain which was seen in the 44 children followed by decreased appetite, dyspepsia and nausea, vomiting. On general physical examination pallor was the most common problem detected with 38 children having pallor. The various risk factors were assessed and in 24 cases no risk factors were identied which was followed by being overweight and family history having 21 cases each. Ultrasonography was performed on all these cases. We concluded that gallstone disease is fairly more common in the female children with no risk factor associated being the most common cause followed closely by family history and overweight. The most common presentation being the right upper quadrant pain and on ultrasonography being the presence of gall bladder sludge and multiple caliculi in the gallbladder.