Introduction

Diseases affecting the gall bladder and bile ducts occur commonly in the elderly. By the age of 70, cholelithiasis, the most frequently occurring disorder affecting these organ systems, and its sequela, choledocholithiasis, are found in 33% of the population of the United States.¹ The challenges facing the clinician responsible for treating elderly patients with biliary tract diseases are: (1) developing an astute clinical acumen while assimilating the ubiquitous nature of these disorders in the elderly, especially when compared with the presenting complaints of younger individuals, and (2) acknowledging the increasing number of treatment options now available. In this review, we focus on gallstone diseases, including cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, with and without cholangitis, and malignant biliary strictures, far and away the most common disorders of the biliary tree affecting the aged population.

	Gallstones and cholecystitis

Asymptomatic gallstones are a common feature of ageing as time, gall bladder dysfunction and the increasing lithogenicity of bile seem . . . [Full text of this article]