Table 1.
Characteristics of LPAC cases and controls.
| Characteristics | Cases (n = 308) | Controls (n = 206) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Female gender | 237/308 (77.0) | 128/206 (62.1) | <0.001 |
| Age at first symptoms (yr) | 27 (6–76) | 47 (12–93) | <0.001 |
| Age at diagnosis (yr) | 36 (14–80) | 47 (12–93) | <0.001 |
| Age at cholecystectomy (yr) | 30 (6–76) | 49 (14–93) | <0.001 |
| BMI at diagnosis (kg/m2) | 23 (16–43) | 27 (19–58) | <0.001 |
| Clinical manifestations | |||
| First symptoms before the age of 40 yr | 273/308 (88.6) | 72/206 (35.0) | <0.001 |
| Hepatic colic | 289/304 (95.1) | 187/206 (90.8) | 0.057 |
| Hepatic colic with transaminase elevation | 127/271 (46.9) | 37/206 (18.0) | <0.001 |
| Acute cholangitis | 73/301 (24.3) | 14/206 (6.8) | <0.001 |
| Acute cholecystitis | 22/297 (7.4) | 86/206 (41.8) | <0.001 |
| Acute pancreatitis | 42/299 (14.1) | 28/206 (13.6) | 0.885 |
| Recurrence after cholecystectomy | 216/250 (86.4) | 22/166 (13.3) | <0.001 |
| Imaging features | |||
| Gallbladder lithiasis | 32/102∗ (31.4) | 202/206 (98.1) | <0.001 |
| Intrahepatic lithiasis | 271/299 (90.6) | 0/206 (0.0) | <0.001 |
| Intrahepatic microlithiasis | 228/299 (76.3) | 0/206 (0.0) | <0.001 |
| Intrahepatic macrolithiasis | 130/299 (43.5) | 0/206 (0.0) | <0.001 |
| Common bile duct lithiasis | 78/299 (26.1) | 14/206 (6.8) | <0.001 |
| Comorbidities and familial history | |||
| Overweight | 69/230 (30.0) | 126/203 (62.1) | <0.001 |
| Obesity | 29/230 (12.6) | 61/203 (30.1) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes | 10/228 (4.4) | 27/205 (13.2) | 0.001 |
| Hypercholesterolaemia | 18/228 (7.9) | 40/205 (19.5) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 16/228 (7.0) | 60/205 (29.3) | <0.001 |
| ICP in women with a history of pregnancy | 54/129 (41.9) | 2/79 (2.5) | <0.001 |
| History of cholelithiasis in first-degree relatives | 138/288 (47.9) | 57/166 (34.3) | 0.005 |
| Personal/family history of hepato-biliary cancer | 14/284 (4.9) | 0/206 (0.0) | <0.001 |
| Surgery and endoscopy | |||
| Cholecystectomy | 252/296 (85.1) | 206/206 (100.0) | <0.001 |
| Endoscopic sphincterotomy | 95/300 (31.7) | 20/206 (9.7) | <0.001 |
| Hepatectomy | 17/298 (5.7) | 0/206 (0.0) | <0.001 |
| Biliary-enteric anastomosis | 9/297 (3.0) | 0/206 (0.0) | 0.013 |
Qualitative variables are expressed as n/N (%) and quantitative variables as median (range). The p values for Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher’s exact tests. ICP, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy; LPAC, low-phospholipid-associated cholelithiasis.
∗
Data not available in 206 cases who had a cholecystectomy before diagnosis with no further details.