Ultrasound of hemobilia: a clinical and experimental study

Clinical observations on patients with hemobilia secondary to percutaneous biliary procedures and laboratory studies on animals with experimentally induced hemobilia indicate that the presence of fresh blood or clot within the biliary tree may yield an erroneous impression of duct size in ultrasound examinations. Recognition of this potential source of error becomes increasingly important as the use of percutaneous procedures for the relief of biliary obstruction increases.