Bronchobiliary fistula in chronic pancreatitis. Case report

Bronchobiliary fistulas are rare. One aetiological cause is biliary obstruction with secondary suppuration and subsequent hepatic and subphrenic abscesses. Only a few cases of bronchobiliary fistulas in patients with chronic pancreatitis have been reported and we record another case. A 47-year-old white male, with chronic alcohol-induced pancreatitis who had earlier undergone several laparotomies related to this disease, was admitted with a hepatic abscess. Drainage was not successful. The patient developed bilioptysis and a bronchobiliary fistula was diagnosed. The fistulous tract was demonstrated using PTC as well as bronchography. Laparotomy was performed and the fistulous tract was excised. The hepaticoduodenal ligament was completely obstructed by the inflamed pancreatic gland. An earlier but now obstructed cholecystojejunostomy was revised. This case was complicated by episodes of severe gastrointestinal bleeding probably caused by thrombosis of the portal vein and local varices around the gallbladder and common duct.