Left Gastric Artery Pseudoaneurysm within a Pancreatic Pseudocyst: A Case Report

Abstract

Left gastric artery Pseudoaneurysm (PSA) is a rare vascular complication of Acute Pancreatitis (AP), resulting from erosion of the pancreatic or peripancreatic artery into a pseudocyst. The splenic artery is the commonest artery involved, followed by the gastroduodenal artery and pancreaticoduodenal arteries. The occurrence of left gastric artery PSA within a Pancreatic Pseudocyst as sequelae of AP is rare but a significant life-threatening complication. Only a few cases have been reported on left gastric PSA causing haemorrhagic pseudocyst. The authors report a case of AP in a 57-year-old male with history of significant alcohol consumption who presented with pain in abdomen of pancreatic origin. On evaluation, he had a pseudocyst in the pancreatic head. After transpapillary drainage of the pseudocyst, it started draining bloody contents. An abdominal computed tomography was obtained, which showed a small left gastric artery PSA. The patient underwent successful angiographic coil embolisation of the PSA.

Keywords

• acute pancreatitis
• angiography
• embolisation
• therapeutic
• vascular complications