Korean J Med.  2009 Mar;76(3):352-357.

Two cases of gallbladder cancer diagnosed by detection of hemobilia

• Kim KO
• Jang BI
• Eun JR
• Lee KH
• Lee SH
• Kim TN

Abstract

Hemobilia is a hemorrhage into the biliary tract and is a relatively rare cause of bleeding in the digestive tract. Gallbladder cancer is the most common tumor in the biliary tract. Gastrointestinal bleeding including hemobilia is reported in only 3% of cases of gallbladder cancer. Here, we report two rare cases of gallbladder cancer diagnosed by the detection of hemobilia. One case was an anemic patient with no abnormal endoscopic findings; capsule endoscopy showed blood in the duodenum and repeat gastroendoscopy revealed hemorrhage from the ampulla of Vater. The diagnosis of early gallbladder cancer was made and the patient underwent surgery and was followed-up. The other case presented with a symptom triad including hemobilia, and endoscopic retrograded cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) revealed hemobilia and a filling defect in the gallbladder. This patient also underwent radical cholecystectomy with the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer.

Keyword

Hemobilia; Gallbladder cancer; Capsule endoscopy

MeSH Terms

Ampulla of Vater
Biliary Tract
Capsule Endoscopy
Cholecystectomy
Duodenum
Gallbladder
Gallbladder Neoplasms
Gastrointestinal Tract
Hemobilia
Hemorrhage
Humans