Clinical information about pneumobilia
Pneumobilia is the term used by healthcare professionals to describe the condition of having air within the biliary tract. This digestive system includes the gallbladder, liver, pancreas, and bile duct. The condition may also involve the cystic duct in some cases.
Having air in the biliary system isn't necessarily bad, but it can be a sign of gallbladder disease or biliary tract unspecified problems like the following:
- Dysfunction of the Sphincter of Oddi, which controls the flow of bile and pancreatic juice in the duodenum part of the small intestine;
- Biliary-enteric fistula, the formation of abnormal passageways between the bile ducts and intestine;
- The erosion of the gallbladder wall may lead to complications over time.
It can even be caused by a surgical procedure called biliary-enteric anastomosis, which addresses biliary obstruction and leakage. In rare cases, this condition may be associated with biliary tract atrophy or biliary tract hypertrophy.
Pneumobilia may occur after cholecystitis treatment or as part of postcholecystectomy syndrome. Chronic cases might involve cholangitis or calculus of the biliary system. If relevant history exists, patients undergoing anesthesia should be evaluated for this condition.
The official type 1 excludes and type 2 excludes notes for code K83.8 should be reviewed when coding, as they provide important guidance on conditions involving the gallbladder and other aspects of the biliary tract.
