Chronic bile peritonitis with progressive bile ascites: a complication of percutaneous biliary drainage

Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage procedures are associated with a small but definite incidence of complications. One of the most feared complications, leakage of bile, is commonly presumed to be a catastrophic clinical event. We present an unusual case in which a patient manifested only minimal abdominal symptoms associated with a massive biliary ascites. The bile leakage was first detected by diisopropyl iminodiacetic acid (DISIDA) scanning.