Prevalence of Gallstones in Finland: An Autopsy Study in the Helsinki Area

Abstract

The prevalence of gallstones in Helsinki (Uusimaa county) was determined in an autopsy sample consisting of 1102 males and 768 females. The crude prevalence of gallstone disease in men was 15.3%, as compared with 34.5% in women. The age-adjusted rates for men and women were 8.7% and 15.9%, respectively. The prevalence of gallstone disease appears to be significantly lower in Finland than in Sweden. However, cholecystectomy rates appear to be higher in Finland than in reports from Sweden and Norway. No significant association with neoplastic disease was found.

Key words:

• Cholecystectomy
• cholelithiasis
• epidemiology
• neoplasms