Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Apr 6, 2019; 7(7): 881-890
Published online Apr 6, 2019. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v7.i7.881
Congenital bronchobiliary fistula: A case report and review of the literature
Tian-Yu Li, Zhi-Bo Zhang
Tian-Yu Li, Zhi-Bo Zhang, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province, China
Author contributions: The two authors contributed equally to this work.
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Zhi-Bo Zhang, BCPS, Professor, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province, China. 18940252622@163.com
Telephone: +86-18940252622
Received: November 26, 2018
Peer-review started: November 26, 2018
First decision: January 8, 2019
Revised: February 24, 2019
Accepted: March 16, 2019
Article in press: March 16, 2019
Published online: April 6, 2019
Processing time: 130 Days and 21.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Congenital bronchobiliary fistula is a rare developmental abnormality with an abnormal fistula between the respiratory system and biliary tract. The aim of this report is to analyze and summarize the clinical features and experience of diagnosing and treating congenital bronchobiliary fistula (CBBF) occurring in the neonatal period.

CASE SUMMARY

The onset of symptoms was 3 d after birth in our patient with progressive cyanosis and respiratory distress, and a large amount of green fluid was noticed in her respiratory secretion. We performed computed tomography (CT), fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and cholangiography to make a diagnosis, as well as fistulography with a bronchoscope for the first time. These examinations provided us with valuable images to make a correct diagnosis. The fistula was dissected and removed with excellent results. Surgical removal of the fistula was successful, and the baby recovered well and was discharged. She has been followed for 4 mo without any signs of discomfort.

CONCLUSION

The main symptom of CBBF is bile-like sputum. CT, bronchoscopy, fistulography, and intraoperative cholangiography can provide important evidence for diagnosis. Surgical resection of the fistula is the first choice of treatment.

Keywords: Congenital bronchobiliary fistula; Neonate; Computed tomography; Bronchoscopy; Fistulography; Case report

Core tip: Congenital bronchobiliary fistula is a rare developmental abnormality with an abnormal fistula between the respiratory system and biliary tract. We summarize the clinical data, and review related papers on it. The aim of this report is to analyze and summarize the clinical features and experience of diagnosing and treating congenital bronchobiliary fistula occurring in the neonatal period.