Treatment and traumatic hemobilia with angiographic embolization.

Hemobilia is an uncommon but devastating complication of liver trauma. The recommended treatment is surgical resection of the involved liver lobe, but this is associated with high mortality and morbidity. An alternate treatment using emboli directed selectively into the involved hepatic artery was successful in obliterating the false aneurysm and eliminating the liver cavity. Since arteriography is generally performed during the diagnostic workup of such patients, embolization may provide a simple, safe, and effective treatment for hemobilia.