# Exploring the Patterns of Gallbladder Diseases and Associated Risk Factors in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

## TL;DR

This study examines gallbladder diseases and their risk factors in a hospital in Pakistan, finding that cholecystitis is common and linked to age and comorbidities.

## Contribution

The study identifies key risk factors and disease patterns specific to a Pakistani population with gallbladder diseases.

## Key findings

- Cholecystitis (calculus and acalculus) was the most common gallbladder disease in the study population.
- Comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes, and ischemic heart disease were prevalent in older patients.
- Male patients predominantly showed higher occurrence of gallbladder diseases and comorbidities.

## Abstract

Background

Gallbladder diseases represent a significant contributor to global morbidity. The most common pathological conditions affecting the gallbladder include cholelithiasis, calculous and acalculous cholecystitis, gallbladder gangrene, and perforation. Gallbladder diseases are a common health concern in European and American societies, with a significant number of new cases diagnosed annually and a substantial number of surgical procedures performed each year to address the condition. This study aims to specify complications and the predisposing risk factors affecting mortality and morbidity in patients with gallbladder diseases who underwent surgery.

Patients and methods

We analyzed medical records of 42 patients who were diagnosed with gallbladder diseases and had a cholecystectomy (open+laparoscopic) in a span of one year between August 2023 and August 2024. Statistical calculations were performed using the SPSS version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

Results

Data from 42 patients who underwent cholecystectomy (open+laparoscopic) for gall bladder diseases over a period of one year were collected and analyzed. This included 24 male and 18 female patients between 24 and 85 years old with a mean age of 58.74 ± 16.049. Pain abdomen (n=40, 95.2%) was the most common symptom in all the study subjects followed by nausea, vomiting (n=33, 78.6%), and fever (n=26, 61.9%). The majority of the patients were diagnosed with cholecystitis(calculus+acalculus) followed by gangrenous perforated gallbladder, empyema of the gallbladder, and gallbladder sludge. The occurrence of comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease was very high in the age group 61-70 years with a male predominance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that cholecystitis (calculus and acalculus) is the more commonly occurring gallbladder disease. The possible predisposing factors are old age, raised white blood cell count, and comorbid conditions like hypertension, diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease which probably are the main cause of gallbladder disease in our population with a male predominance.