Bronchopleurobiliary Fistula: A Complication of Intrahepatic Biliary Stent Migration

Abstract

We describe the management of bronchopleurobiliary fistula in a 56-year-old woman who underwent a (L) mastectomy with postoperative radio- and chemotherapy for advanced breast carcinoma and required insertion of inhabiliary Silastic stents for the relief of severe obstructive jaundice. During restaging of her carcinoma for further chemotherapy, she complained of dyspnea, right chest pain and productive cough with yellow sputum. Her chest x-ray film and thoraco-abdominal CT scan demonstrated right pleural effusion with a stent protruding through the right hemidiaphragm. The objective evidence of bile in the pleural aspirate with history of bile-stained sputum established the diagnosis of bronchopleurobiliary fistula resulting from biliary stent migration.