PSEUDOANEURYSM OF THE CYSTIC ARTERY - A RARE CAUSE OF HEMOBILIA

Aneurysms are a rare cause of hemobilia. The arteries most frequently involved are branches of the hepatic or gastroduodenal arteries. The a uthors report the case of a patient with hemobilia secondary to a pseu doaneurysm of the cystic artery. Only six other cases have been report ed in the literature, and in all of them the condition was associated with inflammation of the gallbladder. Selective hepatic arteriography is the procedure of choice for diagnosis. Colour-Doppler ultrasonograp hy aided in the diagnosis in the patient described in this report and may prove to be useful in equivocal cases. Cholecystectomy and ligatio n of the cystic artery with proximal control of the hepatic artery sho uld be performed as soon as the diagnosis is made.