Endoscopy Challenge #3 - May '10 Hemobilia, or bleeding from the
biliary tract, is seldom seen in the pediatric population and is
not one of the more commonly considered etiologies of upper gi
bleeding. Causes for hemobilia are pooled from various case
reports of children who endured blunt abdominal trauma,
complications status post liver transplant with biliary
strictures requiring balloon dilatation, liver abscess, and
liver biopsy. US guided liver biopsies are safe but there are
rare complications such as pseudoaneurysm and arterial-biliary
fistula.1 The patient in this case report had a liver biopsy 2
weeks prior to presentation of abdominal pain, melanotic stools,
and anemia.Lillienne Yoon, MD, Fellow, University of Texas
Southwestern Brad Barth, MD, MPH, University of Texas
Southwestern - Wood B, Pearson N, Crisp M, Neese P, Pohl JF.
Pseudoaneurysm formation after ultrasound-guided liver biopsy in
an obese child. South Med J. 2009 Apr;102(4):432-4.