Asymptomatic bilious ascites following percutaneous liver biopsy.

Asymptomatic bile leakage developed in a woman following percutaneous liver biopsy. The case is remarkable because features of cholestasis were not present at the time of biopsy, the bile leak occurred through the needle tract in the liver, billous ascites occurred without signs of acute peritonitis, and the complication was the initial manifestation of extrahepatic biliary obstruction due to encasement of the common bile duct by histiocytic lymphoma.