Ruptured Dissecting Intramural Duodenal Hematoma Following Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography

A 34-year-old woman with schizophrenia developed abdominal pain. Ultrasound demonstrated cholelithiasis and a dilated biliary tree. The patient underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), sphincterotomy, and extraction of gallstones from the common bile duct. She developed post-procedure fever, tachycardia, and abdominal pain and was taken to the operating room for urgent cholecystectomy with intraoperative cholangiogram. At laparotomy, an intramural dissecting duodenal hematoma was discovered, which extended the length of the duodenum and ruptured. She underwent gastric pyloric exclusion, gastrojejunostomy, and healed uneventfully. ERCP is not without risks, and a degree of vigilance should be maintained in patients who develop new symptomatology following the procedure.