The use of endoscopy to treat bronchobiliary fistula caused by choledocholithiasis

Bronchobiliary fistula is a rare disorder consisting of the formation of a passageway between the biliary ducts and the bronchial tree. We describe an 87-yr-old woman who had a bronchobiliary fistula secondary to obstruction caused by multiple common bile duct stones. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of bile in the sputum and transhepatic cholangiography. Successful stone extraction with balloon and basket techniques and endoscopic sphincterotomy decompressed the biliary tract and was followed by healing of the bronchobiliary fistula without surgical intervention, which has heretofore been considered the only successful means of treatment.