Traumatic Hemobilia

Abstract
The term "traumatic hemobilia" was first used by Sandblom20 in 1948 to describe a clinical entity of hemorrhage into the biliary tree secondary to traumatic injury of the liver. The literature reveals only 19 reported cases since Owen18 described the first case in 1848. These will be reviewed in relation to a recent case seen by the authors. The infrequency of this clinical entity has made preoperative diagnosis difficult. We wish to report the use of serial serum transaminase determination in our case, point out its possible value in following the clinical course and pathophysiology of this unusual condition, and propose its use to rule out traumatic hemobilia as a cause of obscure gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Report of a Case A 14-year-old boy was admitted to Denver Presbyterian Hospital on February 2, 1958, sixteen hours after an accidental gunshot wound of the right chest from a.22 calibre rifle, the