Hemobilia--evolution of current diagnosis and treatment.

Abstract

"Hemobilia," upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding that originates from within the biliary tract, has become widely recognized due to an increased clinical awareness of the disorder and to improvements in diagnostic techniques. In addition, the growing use of percutaneous liver puncture for the diagnosis of and therapy for hepatobiliary diseases and the increased incidence of both blunt and penetrating hepatic trauma have contributed to a rising incidence of hemobilia. We review the history, pathophysiology, and current approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.