Biliary Tract Hemorrhage as a Cause of Hematemesis

1 July 1961

journal article
research article
Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of Surgery

Vol. 83 (1) , 67-72
https://doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.1961.01300130071008

Abstract

Hemorrhage into the biliary tract is an uncommon cause of hematemesis and/or melena. Even though uncommon, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially when the source of bleeding cannot be demonstrated with certainty. Sandblom⁸ has referred to bleeding into the biliary tract as hemobilia. The term seems appropriate and I believe it should be used to describe biliary tract bleeding regardless of the etiology. Historical Review Of the more than 100 cases of hemobilia reported in the literature, the great majority are caused by rupture of an atherosclerotic aneurysm of the right hepatic artery into the biliary duct system. McNair⁵ recently reviewed the world literature and found 12 instances in which ruptured right hepatic artery aneurysms causing hemobilia had been successfully treated. Sandblom⁸ has reported 9 cases of subcapsular liver injury that in most instances resulted in hemobilia. Quattlebaum⁶ has reported 2 cases in

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