Gallbladder volume in adults and its relationship to age, sex, body mass index, body surface area and gallstones - An epidemiologic study in a nonselected population in France

Background/Aims: The role of a large gallbladder volume with regard to a predisposition for gallstones is unknown. It is possible that an increase in gallbladder volume could result in impaired gallbladder motility and bile stasis. We looked for factors affecting gallbladder volume in a random population in the southeast of France. Methods: To assess the relationship between gallbladder volume and gallstones, 528 subjects over the age of 30 were studied (72 with lithiasis). Age, sex, body mass index, body surface area and gallbladder volume were collected for each subject. A linear regression analysis was performed to look for significant variables. Results: The overall adjusted prevalence of cholelithiasis was 13.9% in our population. On linear regression analysis, two variables (age and surface area) were found to be independently correlated with gallbladder volume. Gallbladder volume was significantly increased in subjects over 50 years (p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between gallbladder volume and body surface area (r = 0.33, p < 0.001). In this study, the presence or absence of gallstones did not significantly affect the gallbladder volume. Conclusions: We report that there is dilatation of the gallbladder with age and with an increase in body surface area. Whether this could represent risk factors for the occurrence of gallstone remains uncertain.