title: Biliary cast syndrome in an opium inhaler.
abstract: Biliary cast syndrome (BCS) is an uncommon complication which is mostly described in orthotopic liver transplantation. However, BCS has also been reported rarely in non-liver transplant patients. We describe a male long-term opium inhaler with BCS who underwent successful endoscopic cast removal by balloon enteroscopy-guided endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. A 52-year-old man, who was a known case of opium addiction, presented with the chief complaint of epigastric pain for 1 week prior to admission. Routine laboratory evaluation revealed cholestatic liver enzyme elevation. A cholestatic pattern was seen in radiographic modalities. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed a linear filling defect in the intra- and extrahepatic duct. A long biliary cast was successfully removed using an extractor balloon. After removal of the biliary cast the patient is receiving ursodeoxycholic acid and does not report any problem 4 months after treatment. It seems that biliary dyskinesia due to long-term opium use can be a predisposing factor for biliary cast formation.
authors.affiliation: Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dabiri
authors.forename: Hamid Asadzadeh
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Aghdae
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rajabalinia
authors.forename: Amir Houshang
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mohammad Alizadeh
keywords: Biliary cast syndrome; Biliary dyskinesia; Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; Opium