Bile pulmonary embolism: report of a case and a review of the literature.
Bile emboli were found at autopsy in the small pulmonary arteries of a 68-year-old man with a past history of polyposis coli who had required percutaneous transhepatic drainage of his biliary tree because of an obstructing ampullary carcinoma. A communication between the biliary tract and a hepatic vein was shown to be due to the catheter. Eight previously reported cases of bile pulmonary emboli have been found. All but one had a clear history of hepatic trauma or intrahepatic abscess. Bile pulmonary embolism is a rare, occasionally fatal, complication of fistulous communication between the biliary tree and the hepatic venous system.
D000368:Aged; D014670:Ampulla of Vater / Q000473:pathology; D001646:Bile; D001658:Biliary Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D003138:Common Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*