aetiology
Last reviewed 01/2018
In Western countries, causes of haemobilia include:
- hepatic trauma - with bleeding from an intrahepatic branch of the hepatic artery into a duct. This is less common now because of improvements in the management of hepatic trauma. May be iatrogenic in origin, e.g. needle biopsy of the liver or percutaneous cholangiography.
Less common causes include:
- hepatic neoplasms
- rupture of a hepatic artery aneurysm
- hepatic abscess
- choledocholithiasis
In the Orient, additional causes include:
- ductal parasitism by Ascaris lumbricoides
- Oriental cholangiohepatitis