Pseudoaneurysm of the gastroduodenal artery secondary to chronic pancreatitis

Abstract

Although pseudoaneurysms are a rare complication of chronic pancreatitis, they are potentially serious both because of the events they can lead to and the diagnostic challenges they may pose. Historically, they used to be treated surgically, through ligation and/or resection; it was not until the last decade that scarcely invasive percutaneous endovascular procedures were introduced. This article reports the case of a patient with chronic pancreatitis presenting with severe upper digestive hemorrhage caused by the rupture of a pseudoaneurysm of the gastroduodenal artery. The patient was successfully treated using selective embolization.