Biloma





KEY FACTS


Terminology





  • Encapsulated collection of bile outside biliary tree



Imaging





  • Ultrasound




    • Grayscale ultrasound




      • Focal collection of fluid within liver or close to biliary tree, or in gallbladder fossa in patients with recent cholecystectomy



      • Round or oval in shape, usually unilocular, usually no discernible thin capsule



      • Anechoic fluid content suggests fresh biloma



      • Debris or septa suggest infected biloma



      • May see echogenic foci at periphery related to clips from recent surgery




    • Color Doppler ultrasound




      • No vascularity within lesion



      • For infected biloma, there may be increased vascularity in adjacent tissue





  • CECT: Well-defined or slightly irregular cystic lesion without identifiable wall



Top Differential Diagnoses





  • Perihepatic collection/seroma/lymphocele



  • Hepatic cyst



  • Hepatic abscess



  • Intrahepatic hematoma



Pathology





  • Iatrogenic: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, post liver transplantation, ERCP or other instrumentation of biliary tree, liver biopsy



  • Post traumatic: Blunt trauma, motor vehicle accident



  • Spontaneous rupture of bile duct



Scanning Tips





  • Look for low-level echoes within biloma, which can indicate underlying infection







Grayscale US shows a biloma after surgical removal of a liver mass. Low-level internal echoes suggest infected bile. Peripheral surgical suture with a ring-down artifact and clip with posterior shadowing are seen.

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Nov 9, 2024 | Posted by in ULTRASONOGRAPHY | Comments Off on Biloma

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