BRONCHOBILIARY FISTULA - A RARE COMPLICATION OF CHRONIC-PANCREATITIS

Conclusions. Bronchobiliary fistula is an infrequent manifestation of common bile duct obstruction. The slowly progressive narrowing of the common duct by the fibrosis of chronic pancreatitis is an even more ra re mechanism of such fistula formation with only two cases having been reported previously. A third case of bronchobiliary fistula caused by chronic pancreatitis is presented and its successful management is di scussed. Background. A 54-yr-old male with known chronic pancreatitis presented with a cough productive of copious amounts of bile and with pulmonary infiltrates. Methods. Diagnosis of bronchobiliary fistula wa s made based on HIDA scan and confirmed by operative cholangiogram. Re sults. Successful correction of this fistula was accomplished by opera tive closure of the fistulous tract and diversion of the narrowed bile duct by hepaticojejunal bypass.