Abstract
For many years, it has been said that Taiwan has the highest relative prevalence of hepatolithiasis among the Asian countries. To confirm this, and to reevaluate the chronological changes regarding gallstone disease in Taiwan, a retrospective nationwide cooperative study was conducted in this country. A total of 17,182 patients from 28 medical centers are included in this survey. A gradual increase during the past 20 years in gallstone prevalence with a concomitant decrease of choledocholithiasis and hepatolithiasis are well demonstrated. Both nutritional and environmental factors are involved in these changes. With respect to hepatolithiasis, Taiwan continues to have the highest prevalence among Asian countries, and 20% may be the average figure for the whole country.
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The study was conducted with the cooperation of the following 28 institutions: Cathay Memorial Hospital, Chang-Hua Christian Hospital, Cheng Ching General Hospital, Chia-Yi Lin General Hospital, Chung Shan Medical & Dental College, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, 802 Army General Hospital, 803 Army General Hospital, 804 Army General Hospital, Keelung Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung Navy Hospital, Kaohsiung Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical College, Kaohsiung Yuan's General Hospital, Kuang Tien General Hospital, Minshen General Hospital, National Cheng Kung University Medical College and Hospital, Provincial Hsinchu Hospital, Provincial Taichung Hospital, Provincial Taoyuan Hospital, Sha-Lu Tung's Memorial Hospital, Taipei Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital, Triservice General Hospital, Tzu-Chi Buddhist General Hospital, Veterans General Hospital-Taichung, and Veterans General Hospital-Taipei.
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Su, CH., Lui, WY. & P'eng, FK. Relative prevalence of gallstone diseases in Taiwan. Digest Dis Sci 37, 764–768 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01296436
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01296436