pneumobilia; aerobilia

Introduction

Accumulation of gas in the biliary tree.

Etiology

• recent biliary instrumentation
  • ERCP, cholangiography
• incompetent sphincter of Oddi
  • sphincterotomy (~50% pneumobilia at 1 year)
• biliary-enteric surgical anastomosis
  • Whipple procedure
• spontaneous biliary-enteric fistula (cholecystoduodenal ~70%)
  • gallstone ileus, peptic ulcer, traumat, neoplasm
• infection (rare)
  • cholangitis, liver abscess
• biliary-bronchopleural fistula (rare)

Differential diagnosis

• portal venous gas

More general terms

• sign/symptom