INTRODUCTION: Bile leak is a rare - and difficult to diagnose - complication of nonoperative treatment in blunt liver injury. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) enables a positive diagnosis and localization of the biliary peritoneal fistula. CASE: We report the case of a child with blunt liver injury treated nonsurgically and subsequently complicated by bile leak. Percutaneous drainage was performed after localization of the biliary fistula with MRCP. The patient recovered without adverse sequelae. CONCLUSION: MRCP can be successfully used to diagnose abdominal complications of blunt liver injury. This minimally invasive approach is the gold standard for management of 80% of patients with blunt liver injury.
INTRODUCTION:Bile leak is a rare - and difficult to diagnose - complication of nonoperative treatment in blunt liver injury. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) enables a positive diagnosis and localization of the biliary peritoneal fistula. CASE: We report the case of a child with blunt liver injury treated nonsurgically and subsequently complicated by bile leak. Percutaneous drainage was performed after localization of the biliary fistula with MRCP. The patient recovered without adverse sequelae. CONCLUSION: MRCP can be successfully used to diagnose abdominal complications of blunt liver injury. This minimally invasive approach is the gold standard for management of 80% of patients with blunt liver injury.