Intrahepatic bile duct ablation for the biliary occulusion of a post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy bile duct injury: a case report

• Published in: Tando Vol. 17; no. 4-5; pp. 418 - 423
• Main Authors: Tanizaki, Hiroshi, Kobayashi, Akihiko, Kawano, Noriaki, Furuse, Junji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Biliary Association 2003
• Subjects: absolute ethanol; biliary ablation; biliary injury; 無水エタノール; 胆管損傷
• ISSN: 0914-0077; 1883-6879
• DOI: 10.11210/tando1987.17.4-5_418

We report the successful treatment of an intrahepatic bile duct ablation. A 41-year-old female underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the treatment of gallbladder stones. Eighteen months later, she visited a local clinic complaining of back pain and was diagnosed as having the liver dysfunction. She was referred to our hospital for further examination. Abdominal CT, US and MRCP studies revealed an intrahepatic biliary dilatation in the hepatic posterior segment. We diagnosed the patient as having a biliary occulusion resulting from a post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy bile duct injury. After admission to our hospital, a PTCD tube was inserted into the posterior biliary branch. The inner biliary fistula could not be reached, so the posterior biliary branch was injected with absolute ethanol. The PTCD tube was removed two weeks after the bile duct ablation. Two days later, the patient was discharged from our hospital. The post-biliary ablation course was uneventful. Two years after this treatment, the patient remains symptoms-free and the posterior biliary branch shows no signs of dilatation, as observed using diagnostic imaging. Intrahepatic bile duct ablation using absolute ethanol may be useful for the treatment of postlaparoscopic cholecystectomy bile duct injuries.