Detachable balloon embolization of an arterioportal fistula following liver biopsy in a liver transplant recipient: a case report and review of literature.

We report a case of an intrahepatic arterioportal fistula in a 61-year-old female liver transplant recipient. The patient presented with massive ascites 7 months after a percutaneous liver biopsy. A large fistula between the right hepatic artery and the right portal vein was diagnosed on color Doppler ultrasound and confirmed on arteriography. The fistula was successfully embolized with the detachable balloon technique and the ascites resolved. Symptomatic intrahepatic arterioportal fistula in a liver transplant recipient following percutaneous biopsy is rare. Clinical manifestations, surgical or endovascular therapy, and outcome are discussed. The literature on this subject is reviewed.