Case report reports a centrally located arterioportal hepatic fistula without portal hypertension following liver biopsy in an older woman, highlighting atypical vascular complications.
An arterioportal hepatic fistula (APF) is an abnormal vascular communication between a branch of the hepatic artery and the portal vein.APFs most often occur secondary to trauma but can present due to hepatic procedures, abdominal neoplasm, or congenital malformation.APFs are often asymptomatic due to being small in size and located in anatomically insignificant areas.Large or centrally located APFs often present with portal hypertension, hemorrhage, or hepatic dysfunction.This case report describes a 79-yearold woman who developed a symptomatic centrally located APF without portal hypertension sequelae after a liver biopsy.The incidence, pathophysiologic mechanisms, presentation, diagnosis, and management are discussed.
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Scearbo et al. (2026) studied this question.
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