Background: Portal biliopathy is a late and serious complication of extrahepatic portal venous obstruction usually manifesting with jaundice. Surgery and endoscopic therapy are the usual modalities of treatment for this condition. Endoscopic management contains inherited risk of hemobilia treatment of which is yet to be standardized.
Patients and methods: Retrospective analysis of data from 2002 to 2007 for nonsurgical management of portal biliopathy was carried out. We encountered 4 cases of hemobilia during this period. The management and outcome of these 4 patients was analyzed.
Results: Median age at presentation was 39 years (22 to 50 y). All the patients had cholestatic jaundice and pain as presenting symptoms without prior history of gastrointestinal bleed. The median serum bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase values were 5 mg/dL (4.8 to 11.3 mg/dL ) and 494 IU/mL (342 to 645 IU/mL), respectively. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography documented changes of portal biliopathy along with choledocholithiasis in all the 4 patients. An uneventful endoscopic sphincterotomy was followed by significant hemobilia during attempted stone extraction by Dormia basket/balloon. Patients were resuscitated with standard measures and injection terlipressin was started at a dose of 1 mg 4 times daily. Control of bleeding was achieved within 12 hours of infusion in all 4 patients and there was no bleed-related mortality.
Conclusions: All our patients had symptomatic portal biliopathy as their first manifestation of underlying extrahepatic portal venous obstruction. Common bile duct stone extraction in patients with portal biliopathy carries a high risk of hemobilia even with balloon sweeping. Terlipressin is an effective pharmacologic treatment for hemobilia in patients with portal biliopathy.