ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BODY MASS INDEX AND SEVERITY OF CHOLECYSTITIS.

Obesity is an established risk factor for gall stone disease and Few studies have also reported male sex as an independent predictor for the severity of cholecystitis. There has been many a studies describing the various causative factors and their role in the development of gallstones, but their association with the severity of cholecystitis has been less studied. It is also postulated that the total body fat, the mean value of which is significantly higher for females than males, may contribute to the difference in the severity of cholecystitis between the two sexes. Methods:-To study the association between body mass index and severity of cholecystitis, a prospective study was carried out on 100 patients of cholecystitis whose weight and height measurements were recorded on admission and the patients were stratified in two groups - Obese (BMI ? >25kg/m2) and Non-Obese (BMI < 25kg/m2). The association between BMI and severity of cholecystitis was investigated. Results:-Of the 100 patients included in the study, 64 patients (64%) were chronic cases of cholecystitis, 23 cases (23%) were diagnosed as uncomplicated acute cholecystitis and 13 patients were having complicated acute cholecystitis. Among the complicated cases, empyema was noted in 6 patients and peri- cholecystic abscess in 3 patients. 56 patients (56%) of the 100 patients who were studied were obese and 44 patients (44%) were non-obese. In case of males, the proportion of complicated acute cholecystitis was higher in non-obese patients (24%) compared with obese patients (2.8%). The results were statistically significant (p=0.0412). In case of females, there was no significant difference in proportion of complicated acute cholecystitis in obese and non-obese patients(p= 0.538). Conclusionn:- BMI was found to be negatively correlated with the severity of cholecystitis in males, resulting in higher incidence of severe cholecystitis in the non-obese male patients.