Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis in Patients with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver with and without History of Cholecystectomy: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases in the world. Previous studies revealed that cholecystectomy may be considered a risk factor for the development of NAFLD. The aim of this study was to compare the amount of liver fibrosis, determined by elastography, between patients with NAFLD with and without a history of cholecystectomy. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, 50 patients with NAFLD were divided into two groups: one with a history of cholecystectomy and the other without. No significant differences were found between these two groups in terms of age or sex distribution. Liver fibrosis was measured for all patients using an elastography imaging system. Subsequently, the data related to liver fibrosis, along with the demographic information of the patients, were statistically analyzed using SPSS software version 22. Results: The mean elastography score in all patients was 10.66±12.18 kPa (the elasticity scale ranging from 3.80 to 66.40 kPa). The group with a history of cholecystectomy had a significantly higher mean elastography score (13.39±16.20 kPa) compared with the group without cholecystectomy (7.93±4.99 kPa) (P=0.02). Additionally, there was a significant positive correlation between body mass index (BMI) and the mean elastography score in the group of patients with a history of cholecystectomy. Conclusion: The mean elastography score of patients with NAFLD with a history of cholecystectomy was approximately twice as high as that of non-cholecystectomy patients.