Abstract

Bile duct disease and gallstone (cholelithiasis) have been considered an uncommon cause of acute abdominal pain in children compared to adults. However, there are significant differences with the adult gallstone disease: increased proportion of patients with an underlying condition, higher incidence of acalculous cholecystitis and lower frequency of choledocolithiasis. With ultrasound examination, it is possible to detect early gallstone in the fetal period and in asymptomatic patients, explaining the increase in gallstone incidence. This disease is more common than suggested in western literature and its diagnosis is increasing as well. The high prevalence of gallstone in adult population in Chile creates an ideal setting for cholesterol and gallstone candidate gene testing. Although the clinical diagnosis of gallstone is simple, there is no consensus about the best therapy in children, explained partially by the lack of knowledge of the natural history of the disease. The role of gallstone disease acquired early in life in gallbladder carcinoma deserves special attention