Treatment of hemobilia by transcatheter vascular occlusion.
Four cases of hemobilia treated by transcatheter arterial occlusion are presented and reviewed with 30 similar cases reported in the literature. Transcatheter vascular occlusion successfully controlled hemorrhage in all 34 patients. No obvious liver parenchymal damage appeared in 26 patients; transient elevation of liver enzymes occurred in 6 patients (18%) including one in our series; two of the patients reviewed died of acute hepatic insufficiency following nonselective hepatic artery embolization. Hemobilia should be considered when gastrointestinal hemorrhage occurs after abdominal trauma, liver biopsy or other manipulative liver procedures. Hepatic angiography establishes the diagnosis and selective vascular occlusion is the treatment of choice for control of intractable or recurrent hemorrhage. Techniques and precautions for the diagnosis and transcatheter therapy of hemobilia are discussed.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D002404:Catheterization; D002648:Child; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006431:Hemobilia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male