Surgical management of hemobilia. Spontaneous hemobilia in intrabepatic origin.
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BACKGROUND: This retrospective analysis evaluated the clinical and radiologic results of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in the treatment of significant hemobilia. The imaging findings, embolization technique, complications, and efficacy are described. METHODS: Thirty-two consecutive patients (21 male, 11 female, age range 8-61 years) who were referred to the radiology department for severe or recurrent hemobilia were treated by TAE. Causes of hemobilia were liver trauma (n = 19; iatrogenic in six and road traffic accident in 13), vasculitis (n = 6), vascular malformations (n = 2), and hepatobiliary tumors (n = 5). Iatrogenic liver trauma was secondary to cholecystectomy in those six patients. Four of five hepatobiliary tumors were inoperable malignant tumors and one was a giant cavernous hemangioma. Arterial embolization was done after placing appropriate catheters as close as possible to the bleeding site. Embolizing materials used were Gelfoam, polyvinyl alcohol particles or steel coils, alone or in combination. Postembolization angiography was performed in all cases to confirm adequacy of embolization. Follow-up color Doppler ultrasound and contrast-enhanced computed tomography was done in all patients. RESULTS: Ultrasonic, computed tomographic, and angiographic appearances of significant hemobilia were assessed. Angiogram showed the cause of bleeding in all cases. Three patients with liver trauma due to accidents required repeat embolization. Eight patients required surgery due to failed embolization (continuous or repeat bleeding in four patients, involvement of the large extrahepatic portion of hepatic artery in two, and coexisting solid organ injuries in two). Severity of hemobilia did not correlate with grade of liver injury. All 13 patients with blunt hepatic trauma showed the cause of hemobilia in the right lobe. No patient with traumatic hemobilia showed an identifiable cause in the left lobe. There were no clinically significant side effects or complications associated with TAE except one gallbladder infarction, which was noted at surgery, and cholecystectomy was performed with excision of the hepatic artery aneurysm. CONCLUSION: TAE is a safe and effective interventional radiologic procedure in the nonoperative management of patients who have significant hemobilia.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Massive hemobilia is a relatively rare, but potentially life-threatening cause of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. We report our experiences in the treatment of 15 cases of massive hemobilia with different underlying pathologies. METHODOLOGY: Massive hemobilia is defined as a patient with blood discharge from the biliary tree and requiring whole blood transfusion for at least 4 u (1 u = 250 cc). Fifteen such patients were collected during an 8.5-year period (from January 1986 to July 1994), and the clinical courses of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Among these 15 patients, 11 were males and 4 were females. Age distribution was from 33 to 78 years old. Mean age was 59.7 years. The cause of hemobilia included: percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage in 7 patients, surgical trauma in 3, choledochoscopic extraction of biliary calculi in 1, pancreatic cancer in 1, radiotherapy for cholangiocarcinoma in 1, after operation for biliary lithiasis in 1, and rupture of the pseudoaneurysm in 1. In 11 patients, hemobilia was first noted by bleeding from percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tube (n = 10) or T-tube (n = 1). Three patients had hemobilia during choledocholithotomy. The other one was diagnosed by choledochoscopy. Treatment included pitressin infusion from angiographic catheter in one patient, transarterial embolization in 1, hepatic artery ligation in 1, hepatic artery ligation and transarterial embolization in 1, choledochotomy or choledocholithotomy in 2, and blood transfusion only in 9. Two of the four mortality cases had underlying malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: The most common cause of massive hemobilia was percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage procedures. Eight cases were successfully treated with blood transfusion only. Transarterial embolization, hepatic artery ligation and open drainage were effective non-surgical and surgical procedures, but the former two procedures might not be successful if sudden and severe hemobilia developed, or when an aberrant hepatic artery existed. Main hepatic artery had better been isolated before removal of the percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tube during operation.
Authors describe experience of diagnosis and treatment of hemobilia at 10 of 743 patients with trauma of liver. At 7 patients hemobilia was due to closed trauma, and at 3--due to injuries. For diagnosis of hemobilia the USE, Doppler examination of hepatic vessels, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, selective angiography of liver were used. Selective embolization was effective at 7 of 8 patients. Hemobilia has been cured conservatively at 2 patients. Two patients died. It is concluded that complex examination including dopplerography of hepatic liver, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, selective angiography is necessary for diagnosis of traumatic hemobilia. Traumatic hemobilia must be suspected at patients with symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding in postoperative (posttraumatic) period, and diagnosis of other sources of bleeding does not exclude hemobilia. Selective angiography and embolization of afferent arterial branch is the most effective and safe method of traumatic hemobilia treatment.
AIM OF THE STUDY: Hemobilia, defined as hemorrhage arising from pathological changes in the biliary tract, represents a rare entity. In a retrospective study the presentation, diagnosis, and management of hemobilia were investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Since January 1991 six patients suffering from severe hemobilia presented to our department. Jaundice, right upper quadrant abdominal pain, hematemesis and melaena were the most frequent symptoms leading to admission. Hemobilia originated from iatrogenic injury following percutaneous liver biopsy and endoscopic removal of common bile duct stones, and malignant hepatic or biliary tumors. Duodenoscopy revealed bleeding from the papilla in all patients. Diagnosis was confirmed by ERCP in all patients and angiography in 5 of 6 patients. RESULTS: Angiographic occlusion of an arterial lesion with coils was successfully achieved in one patient. One patient was treated conservatively. In 3 patients liver resections were performed to control bleeding and the underlying tumorous pathology. In another patient, operative ligation of the supplying artery had to be performed. Within a minimum follow-up of six months none of the six patients showed recurrence of hemobilia. CONCLUSION: Considering the impact of etiologic, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects in treatment of hemobilia we suggest an algorithm for a rational approach to hemobilia. Angiographic occlusion may control the bleeding and improve the patient's general condition. Definitive surgical treatment of hemobilia is safe and effective.
Hemobilia or hemorrhage through the biliary tract is increasing in frequency. With spreading knowledge of the syndrome, the diagnosis is now rarely missed. There is also a real increase due to traffic accidents which often cause liver injuries. The typical triade with digestive hemorrhage, biliary colic and jaundice should always arouse suspicion of hemobilia. Hepatic angiography is the best and most accurate diagnostic method. Accidental or operative trauma constitute the major cause of macroscopic hemobilia where as microscopic hemobilia is a very frequent symptom in gallstone-disease. In this report five cases of different ethiology are described. Three were caused by abdominal trauma. The fourth case illustrates the risk of hemobilia from instrumental exploration of the common duct. Even when this is done carefully it might cause a hemorrhage with formation of obstructing clots. In the last patient there was severe hemobilia due to errosion of the cystic artery by a gallstone, penetrating into the duodenum. The treatment given in the five cases are examples of different methods which may be used, according to the nature of the lesion. In the three cases of traumatic hemobilia one healed spontaneously under angiographic control, one was cured by local hemostasis in the central liver rupture and the third had a successful hepatic resection. In the case with post-operative hemobilia, an obstructing clot had to be removed from the common duct. Simple cholecystectomy cured the patient with hemorrhage from the eroded cystic artery.
Hemobilia after the inception of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) has been reported as an uncommon, but sometimes fatal, complication. We examined the incidence, pathogenesis, and management of hemobilia in 94 patients who received PTBD. There were seven cases (7.4%) with transient and six (6.4%) with severe hemobilia; one patient (1.1%) of the latter group died. There was no correlation between hemobilia and hemostatic or hepatic insufficiency. Angiography during PTBD was performed in 47 patients, and abnormalities restricted to arterial changes were noted in nine (19.1%). All but one patient with hemobilia showed angiographic abnormalities. Our findings indicate that hemobilia occurs more often than has been suspected and that it is usually due to intrahepatic vessel injury rather than to hemorrhagic diathesis or hepatic insufficiency. The primary management of hemobilia consists of maintaining continuous patency of the drainage catheter.
Hemobilia occurs when injury or disease causes communication between intrahepatic blood vessels and the biliary tract. Causes of hemobilia include trauma; gallstones; inflammatory diseases; and vascular disorders such as aneurysm, tumor, and coagulopathy. Recently, with the increasing use of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures involving the hepatobiliary tract, an increasing proportion of the causes of hemobilia have been of iatrogenic origin. Hemobilia may also be associated with liver abscess, but this condition is very rare. Our review of the English-language literature disclosed few cases of liver abscess associated with hemobilia. Here, we present a case of hemobilia caused by liver abscess due to intrahepatic duct stones. Liver abscess should be considered in the causes of hemobilia, especially in areas where hepatobiliary parasitic infection is endemic.
Hemobilia refers to hemorrhage in the biliary tree and is most commonly associated with accidental and iatrogenic trauma. Rarely has pancreatitis been reported in association with hemobilia and never as a consequence of percutaneous liver biopsy-induced hemobilia. We report the case of a 64-yr-old man who presented with pancreatitis 6 days after a percutaneous liver biopsy. Within 24 h of admission, he developed hematochezia. Emergency endoscopy was performed, and with a side-viewing duodenoscope, blood and clot were clearly seen oozing from the papilla. The origin of bleeding was identified angiographically as a pseudoaneurysm of the right hepatic artery. Bleeding stopped and pancreatitis resolved after angiographic embolization of the hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm. A review of the English language literature reveals eight well-documented cases of pancreatitis associated with hemobilia, including the current report. Seven cases were associated with ruptured hepatic artery aneurysms and one case with hemorrhagic acalculous cholecystitis. Six of the patients received appropriate therapy to stop bleeding and recovered uneventfully. Pancreatitis should be recognized as a potential important complication of hemobilia. In addition, hemobilia should be considered in the differential diagnosis for those patients with apparent biliary or idiopathic acute pancreatitis and no stones seen on ultrasonography. When bleeding is stopped via surgical or radiological methods, the clinical course of hemobilia-associated pancreatitis appears to be benign.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to report on the clinical course and imaging findings of hemobilia after radiofrequency (RF) ablation in four patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 2000 to December 2005, we experienced four cases of hemobilia after 1574 sessions of ultrasonography (US)-guided RF ablation in 1037 patients with HCCs. All ablation procedures were percutaneously performed with an internally cooled RF electrode system. The diagnosis of hemobilia was made if the patient complained of melena after RF ablation and biliary dilatation with high attenuating bile was noted at CT obtained immediately after RF ablation. We evaluated the clinical course and imaging findings of hemobilia caused by RF ablation. RESULTS: All patient well tolerated RF ablation procedures without any incident during the procedure. Three of four patients complained of melena with an interval from 1 day to 4 days after RF ablation. One patient was asymptomatic. The melena symptom in all symptomatic patients spontaneously improved in 2 days. None of the patients showed substantial change in vital sign and the level of hemoglobin during the admission period. In all four patients, biliary (including GB) dilatation with high attenuating bile was noted at immediate follow-up CT. The CT findings in all four patients disappeared at 1 month follow-up CT. CONCLUSION: Hemobilia is a rare potential complication of RF ablation with a favorable prognosis. Clinicians who use this technique should be aware of the characteristic CT findings and clinical course of hemobilia after RF ablation for liver tumors.
Our purpose here is to describe our experience with important hemobilia following PTBD and to determine whether left-sided percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is associated with an increased incidence of important hemobilia compared to right-sided drainages. We reviewed 346 transhepatic biliary drainages over a four-year period and identified eight patients (2.3%) with important hemobilia requiring transcatheter embolization. The charts and radiographic files of these patients were reviewed. The side of the PTBD (left versus right), and the order of the biliary ductal branch entered (first, second, or third) were recorded. Of the 346 PTBDs, 269 were right-sided and 77 were left-sided. Of the eight cases of important hemobilia requiring transcatheter embolization, four followed right-sided and four followed left-sided PTBD, corresponding to a bleeding incidence of 1.5% (4/269) for right PTBD and 5.2% (4/77) for left PTBD. The higher incidence of hemobilia associated with left-sided PTBD approached, but did not reach the threshold of statistical significance (p = 0.077). In six of the eight patients requiring transcatheter embolization, first or second order biliary branches were accessed by catheter for PTBD. All patients with left-sided bleeding had first or proximal second order branches accessed by biliary drainage catheters. In conclusion, a higher incidence of hemobilia followed left-versus right-sided PTBD in this study, but the increased incidence did not reach statistical significance.
Complications attributable to percutaneous liver biopsy, including hemobilia and arterioportal fistula, are uncommon. In this report, we present the case of a patient who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy and, as a consequence of this procedure, developed an arterioportal fistula and hemobilia with associated acute cholecystitis. The diagnosis of hemobilia was possible with abdominal ultrasound and upper endoscopy, but the patient required cholecystectomy. Hepatic angiography was performed, demonstrating the arterioportal fistula and hemobilia. Transcatheter embolization occluded the fistula, resolving the hemobilia. We recommend ultrasound and upper endoscopy as initial diagnostic procedures, but angiography and selective embolization must not be delayed if arterioportal fistula and/or hemobilia is suspected since these measures may help to prevent further complications.
Traumatic hemobilia is an uncommon complication of blunt or penetrating liver injury and is characterized by jaundice, biliary colic, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and a recent history of abdominal trauma. The clinical diagnosis of hemobilia is confirmed by endoscopy and selective arteriography. Selective hepatic artery angiography will locate the site of bleeding, and determine the extent of liver injury. The choice of treatment of hemobilia depends on the severity of the hemorrhage and the extent of injury. The treatment of massive or persistent hemobilia is surgical drainage of hematoma and ligation of bleeding sites. Non-massive hemobilia may be treated conservatively with liver healing documented by serial selective arteriograms. The nonoperative treatment of a case of non-massive hemobilia with a good result is presented.