Ischemic cholangitis during Osler-Weber-Rendu disease: a case report

Abstract

Abstract Background Osler-Weber-Rendu disease (OWRD) is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disease that causes skin and mucosal telangiectasias and visceral arteriovenous malformations. These shunts can lead to high-output heart failure, portal hypertension, biliary or mesenteric ischemia. We report the case of a patient with OWRD complicated by ischemic cholangitis and biloma. Case presentation A 50-year-old female patient with personal history of spontaneous epistaxis and gingival bleeding, family history of Osler-Weber-Rendu disease (OWRD) in mother, and epistaxis in siblings. She consulted for intermittent and minimal biliary colic. Physical exam found mucocutaneous telangiectasia. Abdominal Doppler ultrasound/CT angiography showed arteriovenous shunts in the liver between hepatic artery and hepatic vein, hepatic artery and portal vein. Other sites of arteriovenous malformations were found in the nostril and jejunum. The diagnosis of OWRD was made. The evolution after 1 year was marked by the appearance of a slight anicteric cholestasis. MRCP found intrahepatic bilomas with associated ischemic cholangitis of segment VII. We decided to continue monitoring only. Conclusion The management of OWRD is based on screening for visceral arteriovenous malformations and on symptomatic measures that are often disappointing. Ischemic cholangitis is a rare complication, the diagnosis is based on imaging, liver transplantation is the only therapeutic alternative in this cases.