The prevalence and realted ultrasound findings of gallbladder polyp in an HBV/HCV endemic community

Objective: Taiwan is a hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemic country. Some hepatitis C virus (HCV) endemic villages were discovered in southern Taiwan recently. The prevalence of gallbladder (GB) polyp and the ralted ultrasound (US) findings in a hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) endemic village were investigated. Methods: In 2000, 944 residents (M/F: 434/510, mean age: 42.6 years) who lived in a HBV/HCV endemic community were enrolled in the study. They were all checked for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), HBsAg, anti-HCV, and we performed the abdominal US for them. Results: The prevalences of chronic HBV and HCV infection were 19.2% and 33.5% in the village. Based on the US findings, the prevalence of the GB polyp, hepatic cyst, GB stone, fatty liver, and intrahepatic calcified lesions (intrahepatic bile ducts stone or calcification) were 5.1%, 3.6%, 3.3%, 44.2%, and 7.6%. The prevalence of HBsAg was significantly higher in male than female residents (p<0.01) and associated with higher prevalence of GB polyp (p<0.05) by univariate analyses. By using multivariate analyses, male gender and presence of GB polyp were significant factors associated with positive HBsAg (OR/95% CI: 1.555/1.118–2.126 and 1.950/1.022–3.723). Furthermore, the GB polyp was more frequently found among residents with GB stone than those without GB stone (p<0.01) and among residents with fatty liver than those without fatty liver (p<0.01). No significant association between GB polyp and sex, positivity for ANTI-HCV, mean age, or mean ALT levels was found. By using multivariate analysis, presence of HBsAg, GB stone, and fatty liver were significant findings associated with the presence of GB polyp (O.R./95% C.I.: 1.967/1.031–3.753, 3.216/1.059–9.765, and 2.166/1.158–4.052, respectively). Conclusions: The prevalence of the GB polyp was 5.1% in this HBV/HCV endemic village based on the community-based study. The GB stone and fatty liver were the associated US findings with GB polyp.