Quality of life (GIQLI) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy usefulness in patients with gallbladder dysfunction or chronic non-lithiasic biliary pain (chronic acalculous cholecystitis).

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, clinical features and role of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in patients with chronic acalculous cholecystitis (CAC) in comparison with a control group of patients who underwent cholecystectomy for chronic calculous cholecystitis (CCC).

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Prospective evaluation of 34 patients with CAC in contrast with 297 patients with CCC.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical presentation, quality of life using the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI), usefulness derived from the therapeutic procedure as measured in quality of life units by GIQLI, and clinical efficacy at one year of follow-up.

RESULTS

The incidence of complicated biliary disease was higher in CAC (27%), in comparison with CCC (13.8%). The histological study of the excised gallbladder revealed a higher incidence of cholesterolosis associated with chronic cholecystitis in the CAC group (64.9%). GIQLI showed significant differences between preoperative and postoperative measurements in both groups. The associated usefulness of LC was similar in both groups (73 versus 67.3 percent), confirming an important increase in quality of life for both categories.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of CAC is 11 per cent with a high association with cholesterolosis. Quality of life and LC usefulness are similar to those of patients with CCC. Due to the fact that cholecistogammagraphy is a technique not available in daily clinical practice, and that oral cholecystography and dynamic ultrasound are reliable when a positive result is obtained, extended clinical evaluation is still the most reliable indicator for cholecystectomy.