[Hemobilia after laparoscopic cystectomy. Apropos of a case. Review of the literature].

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now the most widely performed operative procedure with an unmatched success. An unusual complication developed in our practice. We report a case of haemobilia secondary to an arterio-biliary fistula due to a monopolar diathermy burn. This unusual observation emphasises the high risk of thermal injuries which are serious, difficult to diagnose or manage and often unrecognised at the time of the operation. A comprehensive review of the literature, up to December 1995, revealed 6 other cases of haemobilia of various aetiologies, occurring after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.