Bile leak is an uncommon complication post cholecystectomy. The bile may originate from the cystic duct stump and less commonly from the aberrant ducts of Luschka. Such complications may occur when anatomical variations in the biliary tree go unnoticed. This case report presents a 24-year-old otherwise healthy female who presented with abdominal pain and distension that began 3 days after she underwent open cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis. Imaging revealed choledocholelithiasis in the distal common bile duct, and free intrabdominal fluid collection. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography done showed contrast leak from the duct of Luschka to the gall bladder bed. The biliary tree has many anatomic variations. These variations have clinical significance for surgical treatment of patients with biliary pathology. Surgeons should be aware of such variations to decrease the risk of bile leak post cholecystectomy.
Keywords: ERCP; bile leak; biloma; case report; cholecystectomy; duct of luschka.
Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. © The Author(s) 2024.