Endovascular Management of Superior Mesenteric Artery Pseudoaneurysm and Fistula

Endovascular treatment of a pancreatic artery pseudoaneurysm with arterioportal fistula in chronic pancreatitis: A case report

Arterioportal fistula (APF) combined with a visceral artery pseudoaneurysm is an exceptionally rare and critical vascular disorder of the abdominal viscera, with pseudoaneurysm rupture being potentially fatal and severe APF leading to portal hypertension, both of which necessitate immediate intervention. An 87-year-old woman with a history of pancreatitis presented with upper abdomen and back pain. Laboratory tests revealed elevated amylase levels and severe anemia. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a large dorsal pancreatic artery (DPA) pseudoaneurysm with a fistula to the main portal vein. Given her advanced age, surgery was deemed high-risk, and endovascular treatment was selected. Transcatheter arterial embolization was successfully performed using coils to embolize the DPA pseudoaneurysm. A follow-up CT 1 week postprocedure confirmed the absence of a pseudoaneurysm and no further progression of anemia.

Ruptured pancreaticoduodenal pseudoaneurysm causing arterioportal fistula: combined transarterial and transportal embolization

Background

Arterioportal fistulas are rare vascular disorders of the abdominal viscera. They are arteriovenous communications between the splanchnic arteries and the portal vein or its tributaries. We herein report a case of an extrahepatic arterioportal fistula that was caused by rupture of a pseudoaneurysm of the pancreaticoduodenal artery and successfully treated with embolization using a combination of the arterial and percutaneous transhepatic portal venous approaches.

Case presentation

A 79-year-old man was transferred to our hospital because of the sudden appearance of a hematoma containing a large pseudoaneurysm in the mesentery of the duodenum. Emergency abdominal angiography revealed that a pseudoaneurysm of the anterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal arterial branch had perforated into the portal system (arterioportal fistula). We performed coil embolization via the inflow artery and portal vein using a percutaneous transhepatic approach. The patient recovered without complications and was discharged.

Conclusion

This rare vascular disorder was successfully treated with an unplanned combination therapy. We believe that flexible strategy changes led to the successful treatment in this case.

A traumatic hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm and arterioportal fistula, with severe diarrhea as the first symptom: A case report and review of the literature

RATIONALE

Hepaticarterioportal fistula (APF) is a rare cause of portal hypertension and gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and presents as abnormal communication between the hepatic artery and portal vein. Percutaneous liver biopsy is a main iatrogenic cause of AFP. However, non-iatrogenic, abdominal, trauma-related APF is rarely reported.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 29-year-old man presenting with severe, watery diarrhea was transferred to our hospital, and his condition was suspected to be acute gastroenteritis because he ate expired food and suffered a penetrating abdominal stab wound 5 years ago. After admission, the patient suffered from hematemesis, hematochezia, ascites, anuria, and kidney failure, and he developed shock.

DIAGNOSES

The patient was finally diagnosed as a traumatic hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm and APF.

INTERVENTIONS

This patient was treated with emergency transarterial embolization using coils. Since a secondary feeding vessel was exposed after the first embolization of the main feeding artery, a less-selective embolization was performed again.

OUTCOMES

During the 6-month follow-up period, the patient remained asymptomatic.

LESSONS

A penetrating abdominal stab wound is a rare cause of hepatic APFs, and occasionally leads to portal hypertension, the medical history and physical examination are the most important cornerstones of clinical diagnosis. Interventional radiology is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of an APF.

Endovascular treatment of superior mesenteric artery pseudoaneurysms using covered stents in six patients

OBJECTIVE

The objective of our study was to evaluate our experience with the use of endovascular treatments for superior mesenteric artery (SMA) pseudoaneurysms using covered stents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between 2002 and 2011, six patients (mean age, 41.7 years; range, 23-65 years) with SMA pseudoaneurysms were treated percutaneously with the placement of covered stents at our institution. The causes of SMA pseudoaneurysms were penetrating trauma (n = 2), blunt trauma (n = 1), and previous surgical procedures (n = 3). The mean diameter of the SMA pseudoaneurysms was 16 mm (range, 4-24 mm). Technical success and clinical success were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Immediate technical success, defined as exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm and lack of active extravasation, was achieved in all six patients. Secondary balloon angioplasty was needed in one patient with residual narrowing. There was a small dissection of the proximal SMA necessitating placement of a second bare stent across the dissection. A second covered stent (Fluency stent, 8 mm) was placed in the same patient because of recurrent bleeding due to a type II endoleak 5 days after the first covered stent had been placed. This patient had no subsequent episodes of bleeding or bowel ischemia. Follow-up CT in the remaining five patients (mean, 21 months; range, 1-58 months) confirmed stent patency and preserved distal arterial flow to the bowel without episodes of bleeding or bowel ischemia during follow-up (mean, 27 months; range, 11-58 months).

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous endovascular treatment using a covered stent may be a safe and feasible tool for SMA pseudoaneurysms.

Therapeutic management of superior mesenteric artery aneurysms

OBJECTIVE

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) aneurysms are rare but life-threatening entities. This study summarizes our experience in providing therapeutic management for true aneurysms of the SMA.

METHODS

Between February 1998 and March 2010, 10 patients were diagnosed with true SMA aneurysms in our hospital. Medical data for demographics, clinical presentation, diagnosis, aneurysm characteristics, treatment modalities, outcomes, and follow-up were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Ten patients (six women, four men) were enrolled with a mean age of 56.7 years (range, 42-69 years). One patient (10%) had aneurysm rupture and presented with abdominal pain, and seven (70%) were asymptomatic. The size of nonruptured aneurysms ranged from 1.2 to 8.0 cm (mean, 3.5 cm). Of 10 patients, five received endovascular stent graft repair, two were treated surgically, two were observed, and one with aneurysm rupture died of hemorrhagic shock before surgery. The two surgical patients underwent SMA reconstruction after aneurysmectomy, and segmental bowel resection was performed in one patient after reconstruction. The overall mortality rate was 10%. Postoperative gastroparesis was identified in one patient (14.3%). Mean operation time was 3.6 hours in the surgical group and 1.3 hours in the endovascular group. Mean postoperative hospital stay for the two groups was 20.0 days and 2.2 days, respectively. Mean follow-up was 30.9 months (range, 3-72 months). Endoleak was found in one patient 3 months after endovascular repair.

CONCLUSION

True SMA aneurysms are uncommon entities with definite rupture risk and mortality. Compared with surgical intervention, endovascular stent graft placement is associated with less trauma and rapid recovery. It may be a promising alternative to surgical intervention. The most appropriate treatment depends on the characteristics of the lesion and the condition of the patient.

Successful coil embolization of an arterioportal fistula evolving 12 years after gastrojejunostomy

Arterioportal fistula — either acquired or congenital — is a rare syndrome, which is a real challenge in gastroenterologic diagnostics. We report a case of a 76-year-old female, who was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of permanent abdominal pain and a bruit in the epigastric region. Twelve years prior she underwent Billroth II gastrojejunostomy due to a perforating duodenal ulcer, followed by cholecystectomy 6 months later. CT and MR angiography showed a fistula between the gastroduodenal artery and the portal vein. Successful treatment of the arterioportal fistula was achieved by intravascular coil embolization resulting in the resolution of the symptoms. After six years of follow-up, abdominal ultrasonography did not show any novel findings and our patient is still doing well with no recurrence.

Current Management of Mesenteric Extrahepatic Arterioportal Fistulas: Report of a Case Treated With a Gastroduodenal Artery Stent Graft and Literature Review

Spontaneous arteriovenous fistulation of a pseudoaneurysm into superior mesenteric vein (SMV) has rarely been reported. We present the case of a 61-year-old woman who presented with a post pancreatic arterioportal fistula (APF) that was successfully managed by stent graft (SG) placement in the gastroduodenal artery (GDA). We also review the published experience of the endovascular management of mesenteric extrahepatic APFs. This review demonstrates the evolution from open surgical to endovascular management for majority of these patients.