Gallstones in children

Childhood cholelithiasis is an uncommon to rare disease; occurring in all ages from infancy to adolescence but most common in the pre-adolescent and adolescent girl. Clinical manifestations are little different from those in the adult population. Cholecystectomy is the favoured method of treatment and post-operative morbidity is low. Haemolytic disease is an underlying etiologie agent in less than 20% of cases. In 60% of cases obesity, pregnancy or family history of cholelithiasis may be of etiologic significance. In 20% of cases, no known etiologic agent can be detected. In a child with abdominal pain of unknown etiology, it is imperative to exclude the possibility of gallstones, and radiology, particularly plain films of the abdomen and oral cholecystography are the best investigative techniques to do this.