title: Biliopleural fistula: a rare complication of percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage.
abstract: A 79-year-old previously healthy man presented with acute acalculous cholecystitis with obstruction of the biliary tract. He was successfully treated with antibiotics and percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage, but returned to the hospital two days after discharge with a rare complication of this technique, biliopleural fistula. A thoracostomy tube was inserted to drain the pleural effusion, and the patient's previous antibiotics reinstated. After two weeks of drainage and antibiotics, the fistula healed spontaneously without the need for further intervention.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Armed Forces Taoyuan General Hospital, No.168 Chung-Shin Rd, Taoyuan, Taiwan, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Tsung
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sheng-Chuan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hsi
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Kuang-Yi
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001658:Biliary Fistula / Q000209:etiology*; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000601:surgery*; D004322:Drainage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005402:Fistula / Q000209:etiology*; D005704:Gallbladder; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents