ENDOVASCULAR TREATMENT OF VISCERAL ANEURYSMS AND PSEUDOANEURYSMS IN A SINGLE CENTER

Yuxiang He¹, Gang Li1, Yang Liu², Hui Tang³, Zhenyue Chong¹, Xuejun Wu¹, Xing Jin¹, Shiyi Zhang¹, Mo Wang^{1, *}

¹Department of Vascular Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, China - ²Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China - ³Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan 250014, China

Objective: We reported our experience in the diagnosis and endovascular treatment of visceral artery aneurysms (VAAs) over a 10-year period in this study. 

Patients and methods: Between 2003 and 2013, a total of 24 VAAs in 21 patients were diagnosed by clinical symptoms and a combination of imaging techniques, such as Doppler ultrasound, computed tomography angiogram and catheter angiogram. All patients underwent endovascular treatment to exclude aneurysms. Oral antiplatelet medicine was administrated, and imaging examination was performed during follow-up. 

Results: Technical success was achieved in all 21 patients and no periprocedural complications occurred. Sole endovascular coiling was employed in 10 aneurysms; coiling was combined with gelfoam in 2 aneurysms; coiling was assisted by stent in 4 aneurysms; and covered stents were deployed in 8 aneurysms individually. Clinical symptoms disappeared or improved obviously in all patients after treatment. None of the patients presented with recurrent symptoms after discharge. However, two cases with new aneurysms at 6th and 8th months and one case with in-stent thrombosis were reported in the 12th month during follow-up. 

Conclusions: This study may justify the efficacy of percutaneous endovascular coil embolisation and stent deployment. It also provides beneficial experience regarding the choice of appropriate various endovascular strategies based on both clinical symptoms and aneurysm anatomy condition.