Diagnosis and treatment of splanchnic artery aneurysms: a report of 57 cases

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of splanchnic artery aneurysms.

Methods: A retrospective study of our case records from 1957 to 1997 was carried out. Fifty-seven patients with splanchnic artery aneurysms were involved in this study with 62 aneurysms, including hepatic aneurysm (14 patients), gastric and pancreaticoduodenal aneurysm (13), splenic aneurysm (14), renal aneurysm (6), superior mesenteric aneurysm (3), inferior mesenteric aneurysm (1), truncus coeliacus (3) and epiploic arterial aneurysm (3). Among them, 5 patients had multiple aneurysms; 29 had massive bleeding of spontaneous rupture into the biliary tract (14 patients), the upper gastrointestinal tract (10), and the peritoneal and retroperitoneal cavity (5).

Results: Preoperative diagnosis was confirmed by arteriography in 37 patients, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in 2, and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in 2. Among the 46 patients who underwent surgical intervention, 9 died. Splanchnic arterial embolotherapy was performed in 6 patients.

Conclusion: Splanchnic artery aneurysms have a potential for rupture with life-threatening hemorrhage. Clinical assessment of these lesions before operation is very difficult. The most valuable examination is selective arteriography of the splanchnic artery (including DSA). Surgical treatment is a safe and effective procedure. Embolic therapy may be the method of choice for selected splanchnic artery aneurysms. Prognosis of this disorder depends on the anatomic location of aneurysms, primary disease and general condition of patients.