Litiaza biliară pediatrică. Studiu clinic și revizuire a literaturii

Abstract

Pediatric gallstone disease, once considered a rare condition, is being diagnosed with increasing frequency due to advances in imaging techniques and changes in metabolic factors. This retrospective study analyzed 70 children with gallstone disease treated between 2018–2025 at the National Scientific and Practical Center of Pediatric Surgery “Acad. Natalia Gheorghiu”. The mean age was 14.5 years, with a female-to-male ratio of 2.6:1. Family predisposition (27.1%) and obesity (11.4%) were the main risk factors, followed by hereditary spherocytosis (8.6%). All patients were symptomatic, with 74% presenting biliary colic and 26% acute cholecystitis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed in 98.5% of cases with a minimal complication rate (1.4%). Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy proved ineffective. The results confirm the increasing incidence of pediatric gallstone disease and highlight laparoscopic surgery as a safe, effective treatment modality. The results obtained were corroborated with data from the relevant literature.