TY - JOUR ID - TI - The Prevalence of Silent Gall Stones And Its Relation To Some Risk Factors in Iraq AU - Safa M. M. AL-Obaidi PY - 2006 VL - 5 IS - 2 SP - 146 EP - 150 JO - Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal المجلة العراقية للاختصاصات الطبية SN - 83601608 98932708 AB - ABSTRACT:BACK GROUND :Gallstone disease is a common condition all over the world as well as in Iraq. Symptomatic gallstonesdefinitely need surgical or medical treatment . To remove or treat silent gallstones is still a debatablesubject. Gallstones are about twice as common in women than in men and their incidence varyaccording to some physical fastersMETHODS :1016 adult volunteers from both sexes and of different age groups were examined by ultrasound inMedical city teaching hospital between January 2004 and August 2005, for the estimation of theprevalence of silent gallstones among Iraqi people and it's relation to some physical and familialfactors was studied .RESULTS:The incidence of silent gallstones in both sexes was 3.3%. It is more common in women 4.09% than inmen 2.2% and it increases with age, parity, and the use of contraceptive pills, and high intake of blacktea The size of most of the stones was less than 20 mm and they were less than three in number, thegall bladder was with a normal wall thickness, no associated mass , or gallbladder wall calcifications,and no association with specific blood group or obesity was found.CONCLUSIONS:Silent gallstones were found in 3.3% of healthy Iraqi individuals, and they are associated with the samerisk factors of symptomatic gall stones such as age , parity , familial contraceptive except that obesityand blood groups are not a major risk factor.

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