title: Biliary pleural fistula detected by hepatobiliary scintigraphy.
abstract: A biliary pleural fistula is a rare complication secondary to trauma, infection, malignancy, biliary disease, malignancies, or percutaneous procedures. Its presence may be suggested by the development of a right pleural effusion in a patient with such history and can be confirmed with a hepatobiliary scan or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Patients are treated with antibiotics and the fistula usually spontaneously closes. If after 2 weeks the fistula persists, percutaneous drainage, sphincterotomy, or biliary stent placement can be performed to promote healing of the fistula. In complicated cases, open thoracic surgery or video-assisted thoracic surgery may be required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: May L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Judith M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.forename: Lee M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: Neil A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Christie
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001658:Biliary Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001659:Biliary Tract / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging