Gallstones in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract

We performed abdominal ultrasonography (US) on patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to investigate the frequency and characteristics of gallstones (GS). Patients with RA (n = 224; 42 male and 182 female) underwent abdominal US. The incidence of GS (including post-chorecystectomy patients) was significantly higher in female patients with RA (15.4%) than in female controls (5.2%, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in GS incidence between male patients with RA (9.5%) and male controls (3.8%). The percentage of cholesterol stones was 100% in patients with RA with GS but only 66.7% in controls with GS (p < 0.01). Compared to patients with RA without GS, patients with RA with GS were older and had lower C-reactive protein levels, a decreased creatinine clearance and urinary calcium excretion, and an increased incidence of hypercholesterolemia. We observed a high incidence of GS in female patients with RA. With our previous observation of a high incidence of renal stones in patients with RA, these results suggest the importance of US as a diagnostic tool in the management of RA.