Rupture of a hepatic artery aneurysm caused by Wegener's granulomatosis

Open Repair of Large Hepatic Artery Pseudoaneurysm Without Collateral Circulation: A Case Report

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm is a rare arterial disease. This case report describes a patient with hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm who presented with recurrent epigastric pain over a 4-month period. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed aneurysmal enlargement of the hepatic artery measuring 55 mm × 46 mm. The angiographic information is as follows: (1) the common hepatic artery originated from the superior mesenteric artery; (2) the proper hepatic artery originated from the common hepatic artery; (3) the proper hepatic aneurysmal disease had no collateral circulation. After careful consideration, the patient underwent an open surgical repair (OSR). The patient recovered well without any associated complications. The 1-year follow-up of patients did not reveal any relevant complications. The treatment choice, puzzles, and reflections of this case are all discussed in this article.

Ruptured arterial aneurysm in Wegener's granulomatosis: a case report

Background

Aneurysm formation is a possible, but rare, complication of granulomatosis with polyangiitis, known as Wegener’s granulomatosis. Urgent diagnosis and therapy is very important because a ruptured aneurysm could be life threatening.

Case presentation

We, therefore, present the case of a 63-year-old Greek man who was diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis and retroperitoneal hematoma due to ruptured aneurysm in renal artery and upper pancreaticoduodenal artery. His clinical course was complicated by acute renal failure and acute respiratory failure due to alveolar hemorrhage. Emergency coil embolization was performed. Postembolization recovery was uneventful; no bleeding occurred. The patient underwent mechanical ventilation and continuous veno-venous hemofiltration and received combined immunosuppression and supportive therapy, but eventually died 30 days after admission to hospital from severe septic shock and multiple organ failure.

Conclusion

Endovascular treatment is the therapy of choice, especially for patients with ruptured aneurysms that are hemodynamically stable. Early diagnosis is very important, as urgent embolization and early initiation of immunosuppression therapy are the treatment of choice.

Management of celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery synchronous aneurysms as an extremely rare manifestation of Wegener granulomatosis

Large-vessel aneurysm is an extremely rare complication of Wegener granulomatosis. We report a case of Wegener granulomatosis in a 49-year-old woman with large synchronous aneurysms of the celiac trunk (54 mm) and superior mesenteric artery (42 mm) who presented with abdominal pain. Because of the large diameter of the aneurysms and their proximity to each other, a combination of endovascular and hybrid repair was used for management. After surgical debranching and endovascular repair, the patient was discharged in good general condition. We concluded that abdominal pain in Wegener granulomatosis can be a rare manifestation of a large visceral aneurysm.

Accessory left gastric artery aneurysms in granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a case report and literature review

Aneurysm formation is a potential complication of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), previously known as Wegener’s granulomatosis. It is a very rare complication, but immediate diagnosis and therapy should be performed because an aneurysm can be life-threatening if it ruptures. An accessory left gastric artery (ALGA) is also a rare variant gastric artery that may obtain its blood supply from the left hepatic artery and left gastric artery. We herein describe a 57-year-old Japanese man who was diagnosed with GPA complicated by aneurysm rupture in an ALGA. Emergency surgery was performed after failure of arterial coil embolization to interrupt blood flow in the ALGA. The patient underwent partial resection of the lesser omentum, which contained all aneurysms. During partial resection of the lesser omentum, both the left gastric artery and ALGA were ligated because they were thought to be feeders of the aneurysms. Postoperative recovery was uneventful; no bleeding or recurrence of the aneurysms occurred. Immediate diagnosis and therapy should be performed for patients with GPA with symptoms of vascular ischemia or aortitis. Endovascular intervention is the first-choice therapy especially for hemodynamically stable patients with ruptured aneurysms or aneurysms located on variant arteries, which may have multiple blood supplies. In the present case, although endovascular treatment failed, the approach described herein was helpful during open surgery.

Visceral Artery Aneurysms: Diagnosis, Surveillance, and Treatment

Visceral artery aneurysms (VAAs) are a rare, but serious clinical entity as rupture confers a high rate of mortality. Data regarding the prevalence, treatment, and prognosis of VAAs is largely from case series, as true randomized trials are lacking. The incidence of VAAs has risen over the decades with advances in imaging technology, availability, and utilization. Even in the presence of symptoms, the prompt diagnosis of VAAs may be challenging as symptoms are often nonspecific and varied. Although there are no definitive treatment guidelines, asymptomatic VAAs require treatment in the following scenarios: when the aneurysm diameter is greater than 2 cm, when identified during pregnancy, when multiple aneurysms are present, and in the case of hepatic transplant. Similar to therapeutic trends in other vascular beds, advances in endovascular devices and techniques have driven an "endovascular first" approach for the treatment of VAAs. However, although the success rates of endovascular repair are impressive, surgical intervention is still necessary in treating centers. This paper reviews the pathophysiology, clinical features, anatomic characteristics, and management strategies required for the effective diagnosis and treatment of VAAs.

Aortic Aneurysm as a Complication of Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Successfully Treated with Prednisolone and Cyclophosphamide: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

A 57-year-old Japanese man was admitted to the hospital with back pain and fever, multiple lung nodules, and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Laboratory tests performed at admission showed an increased proteinase 3 anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA) level. Video-associated thoracoscopic lung biopsy was performed; pathologic examination showed granulation tissue with necrosis and multinucleated giant cells. The diagnosis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) was confirmed on the basis of the clinical presentation, laboratory findings, and lung biopsy. All symptoms were ameliorated, and the serum level of PR3-ANCA declined following treatment with prednisolone and cyclophosphamide. Although the association of GPA with AAA is rare, GPA may be included among the large vessel vasculitides that can give rise to aortic aneurysm.

Suspected Hepatically Localized Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis

The patient was a 72-year-old woman whose alkaline phosphatase levels had been elevated since she was 56 years old. Liver biopsies obtained when the patient was 64 and 66 years of age led to a suspicion of cholangitis caused by vasculitis. Furthermore, proteinase-3 anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positivity led to a suspicion of granulomatosis with polyangiitis, but subjective symptoms and disorders in other organs were absent, so this suspicion was not confirmed. Cholangitis caused by vasculitis rarely occurs without vasculitis in other organs. We herein report this case in which we obtained distinctive laparoscopic and imaging findings that raised suspicions of liver circulatory failure.

Frequency, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcome of Gastrointestinal Disease in Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis and Microscopic Polyangiitis

Objective.

Involvement of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a rare complication of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). The aim was to describe frequency, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of GI disease in a large series of patients in a single center.

Methods.

A database that includes all patients with GPA and MPA diagnosed since 1997 in a defined area of southeastern Sweden as well as prevalent older cases and tertiary referral patients was screened for patients with GI disease. Data were retrieved from the patient’s medical records, and GI manifestations of vasculitis were defined as proposed by Pagnoux,et alin 2005.

Results.

Fourteen (6.5%) of 216 consecutive patients with GPA/MPA had GI manifestations. Abdominal pain and GI bleeding were the most common symptoms. Radiology was important for detection of GI disease, while endoscopy failed to support the diagnosis in many patients. Because of perforation, 5 patients underwent hemicolectomy or small intestine resection. Primary anastomosis was created in 2/5 and enterostomy in 3/5 patients. One patient had a hemicolectomy because of lower GI bleeding. One sigmoid abscess was treated with drainage, and 1 intraabdominal bleeding condition with arterial coiling. Two patients died from GI disease. GPA and MPA patients with and without GI disease exhibited a similar overall survival.

Conclusion.

GI disease was found in 6.5% among 216 patients with GPA or MPA. Surgery was judged necessary only in cases with GI perforation or severe bleeding. Multidisciplinary engagement is strongly recommended.

Hepatic involvement in granulomatosis with polyangiitis - diagnostic difficulties

We report the case of a 57-year-old Caucasian man who presented with dry cough, haemoptysis, fever, lung nodules, erythrocyturia, and acute hepatitis. After a lung biopsy, the patient was diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis. The diagnosis was supported by the presence of anti-proteinase-3 anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. The most common causes of liver damage are excluded. The patient was treated with prednisone and cyclophosphamide, which resulted in remission of chest CT findings and improvement in liver function tests. During the flare, new lung infiltrations as well as elevation of liver enzymes were present. Treatment with rituximab resulted in complete clinical and radiological remission and normalisation of liver function tests. What makes this case worth reporting is the rare liver involvement in the GPA. After exclusion of coexistence of autoimmune liver disease and drug-induced liver lesion, organ involvement was supported by the reversion of abnormal LFT after the immunosuppression of GPA.

Multiple Visceral Artery Aneurysms: An Uncommon Manifestation of Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody Vasculitis

The antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis mainly affect small vessels. They are an exceptional etiology of visceral artery aneurysms, which are themselves unusual and potentially serious vascular disease. We report the case of a patient followed for vasculitis associated with ANCA with kidney disease who presented with symptomatic aneurysm of the inferior mesenteric artery and aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery.

Cutaneous Ulcers as Initial Presentation of Localized Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is an ANCA associated small vessel vasculitis characterized by necrotizing granulomatous inflammation involving the upper and the lower respiratory tract and the kidneys. The disease has a broad clinical spectrum that ranges from limited/localized involvement of a single organ system to a generalized systemic vasculitis that affects several organs with evidence of end organ damage. Atypical forms of the disease have been recognized with or without respiratory tract involvement with a long protracted course before manifesting as generalized disease. Case Presentation. We describe a 57-year-old woman who presented with recurrent fever and cutaneous ulcers on her legs who was diagnosed to have granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) after an extensive evaluation which excluded infectious, other vasculitides, connective tissue disease and malignant etiologies. Conclusion. In the absence of typical manifestations, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is indeed a diagnostic challenge to the physician. Atypical manifestations like unexplained recurrent fever and cutaneous ulcers nevertheless call for keeping a low threshold for the diagnosis of GPA as the disease can initially present in localized form before heralding into a generalized disease.

Systemic vasculitis: a dual diagnosis?

The authors describe a 25-year-old male with systemic vasculitis fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for both granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis) and polyarteritis nodosa. The patient was diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis following a mediastinal biopsy which revealed necrotising granulomas of the large airways, a positive cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and high antiproteinase 3 antibody titre. He then developed acute right-sided abdominal and testicular pain as well as areas of hyperaesthesia and parasthesiae on both lower limbs. He was found to have focal crescentic glomerulonephritis and mononeuritis multiplex, in keeping with his diagnosis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis, as well as two areas of infarction in his right testicle and multiple aneurysms of his hepatic and right renal arteries, more typical of polyarteritis nodosa. His symptoms developed 6 weeks after hepatitis B vaccination, which may have played an aetiological role.

Open and endovascular repair of hepatic artery aneurysm: two case reports and review of the literature

Hepatic artery aneurysms (HAAs) represent a complex and often lethal condition. An 80-year-old woman with polyarteritis nodosa and a right hepatic lobe HAA underwent endovascular repair with coils. Her case was complicated by intraoperative HAA rupture requiring exploratory laparotomy. In the second case, a 37-year-old man with a large HAA underwent open repair with a bifurcated graft that extended from the common hepatic artery to the left and right hepatic arteries. These two cases highlight the difficulty of managing HAAs, and provide insight into their treatment. Furthermore, our review of the literature highlights the data on the management of HAAs, including the natural history of this disease process, the indications for repair and the optimal treatment modality.

Aneurysmectomy and revascularization of a large hepatic artery aneurysm

Aneurysms of the hepatic artery are rare, but are associated with significant mortality because of their lack of symptoms at presentation and risk of rupture. We report a case of an enlarging 4-cm hepatic artery aneurysm involving the proximal common hepatic artery to the bifurcation of the right and left hepatic arteries which was found incidentally on ultrasound examination. Endovascular treatment with a stent was considered, but because of the location of the aneurysm as well as the presence of significant thrombosis involving the right and left hepatic arteries, aneurysmectomy and revascularization using saphenous vein was performed. Doppler ultrasound measurements demonstrated good flow through the graft postoperatively and at 1-month follow-up. Although a variety of endovascular techniques exist to treat hepatic artery aneurysms, our results indicate that open excision and revascularization may be required and can have a good outcome.

Wegener's granulomatosis presenting as an abdominal aortic aneurysm: a case report

Introduction

Aortic aneurysm is not common in young patient. When a young patient presents with abdominal aortic aneurysm, there may be an underlying cause.

Case presentation

Here, we describe a case of a 33-year-old gentleman who presented with flu like illness, chest and abdominal pains following a tooth extraction. A chest X-ray and subsequent computerised tomogram of the chest and abdomen demonstrated lung nodules and an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aneurysm was repaired and his serology was positive for Wegener's granulomatosis. A nasal mucosal biopsy confirmed WG. He was treated with oral steroids and cyclophosphamide. His graft leaked and had to be replaced with a synthetic graft. Two months after his re-operation, he remains well.

Conclusion

Whenever a young patient presents with an abdominal aortic aneurysm, an underlying connective disease should be excluded because early steroid/immunosuppressive treatment may prevent the development of further aneurysms.

Superficial Femoral Artery Aneurysm: A Rare Complication of Wegener Granulomatosis

Wegener granulomatosis (WG) is a systemic disease of unknown etiology characterized by necrotizing granulomatous inflammation, tissue necrosis, and variable degrees of vasculitis, typically in small and medium-sized blood vessels. The classic clinical pattern is a triad involving the upper airways, lungs, and kidneys. However, large vessel aneurysm is an extremely rare finding in WG. We describe a 67-year-old Caucasian male with formerly proven WG who presented with a progressively growing superficial femoral artery aneurysm. Histologic findings revealed necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis involving this artery.

Arterial Aneurysms in Wegener’s Granulomatosis: Case Report and Literature Review

OBJECTIVE

Arterial aneurysms are characteristic of medium-size vessel vasculitis but are a very unusual feature of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). We describe a typical WG case, complicated by arterial aneurysms and review previously reported cases.

METHODS

Medline database search of cases published between January 1978 and July 2006, in English, reporting arterial aneurysms complicating WG.

RESULTS

Five years after diagnosis, a 29-year-old man with typical WG developed macro- and microaneurysms located on branches of the hepatic and renal arteries during a disease relapse. The main symptoms were abdominal pain, vomiting, and altered general status. He was successfully treated by coil embolization in combination with prednisone, intravenous mycophenolate mofetil, and high-dose immunoglobulins. Twelve additional cases of WG complicated by arterial aneurysms are reported in the English literature. This represents a life-threatening complication since rupture occurred in half of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Although small-vessel injury predominates in WG, inflammation of medium-size arteries may occur and lead to aneurysm formation. Abdominal angiography should be recommended when unexplained abdominal pain occurs during a WG flare.

Splanchnic artery aneurysms

Autopsy studies suggest that splanchnic artery aneurysms may be more frequent than abdominal aortic aneurysms. These aneurysms are important to recognize because up to 25% may be complicated by rupture, and the mortality rate after rupture is between 25% and 70%. However, little is known about the natural history and clinical presentation of splanchnic artery aneurysms. Splenic artery aneurysms are the most common of the splanchnic artery aneurysms; multiple aneurysms are present in approximately one third of patients. Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysms are more common than true aneurysms because of increasing numbers of hepatobiliary interventional procedures. The diagnosis of splanchnic artery aneurysm should be considered in any patient with abdominal pain, a pulsatile mass, or an abdominal bruit with or without associated bleeding. However, most aneurysms are asymptomatic and are detected incidentally on imaging studies. Treatment, which can be either surgical or interventional radiology-based, should be considered in all patients with symptoms related to the aneurysms, if the aneurysm is more than 2 cm in diameter, if the patient is pregnant, or if there is demonstrated growth of the aneurysm.

Hepatic artery aneurysm: factors that predict complications

OBJECTIVE

We reviewed the Mayo Clinic experience with management and outcome of hepatic artery aneurysms (HAA).

METHODS

Retrospective review of charts for 306 patients with true visceral aneurysm diagnosed from 1980 to 1998 enabled identification of 36 patients (12%) with HAA.

RESULTS

Patients with HAA included 23 men and 13 women, with mean age of 62.2 years (range, 20-85 years). Most aneurysms were extrahepatic (78%) and single (92%). Mean aneurysm diameter at presentation was 3.6 cm (range, 1.5-14 cm). Five aneurysms had ruptured (14%), and four were symptomatic (11%). Mortality from rupture was 40%. Of the 9 patients with ruptured or symptomatic aneurysms, 2 patients had multiple HAA, 3 patients had fibromuscular dysplasia, and 2 patients had polyarteritis nodosa. All five HAAs that ruptured were of nonatherosclerotic origin (P =.001). Fourteen patients (39%) underwent elective procedures, including excision with vein graft (n = 7), excision with dacron graft (n = 3), excision alone (n = 2), and percutaneous embolization (n = 2). Two vein grafts and one dacron graft became occluded within 1 year. Nonoperative management was elected in 22 patients (61%) with mean aneurysm diameter 2.3 cm (range, 1.5-5 cm). No complications related to the aneurysm occurred during mean follow-up of 68.4 months (range, 1-372 months). Aneurysm growth was identified in 27%, the greatest being 0.8 cm over 34 months.

CONCLUSIONS

HAA are at definite risk for rupture (14%). Risk factors for rupture include multiple HAA and nonatherosclerotic origin. Patients with symptomatic aneurysms or any of these risk factors should be considered for intervention.