Double splenic artery pseudoaneurysm with pancreatic pseudocyst: A therapeutic stalemate

Abstract

Pseudoaneurysm is a rare but a potentially fatal complication associated with chronic pancreatitis. The presence of concomitant aneurysms has been reported rarely and poses a therapeutic challenge owing to the technical difficulty in accessing the distal aneurysm by endovascular means and increased chances of rupture and bleeding. Here, we report an unusual presentation of simultaneous occurrence of two pseudoaneurysms on the splenic artery (SA). A 50-year-old male, a known case of chronic pancreatitis, presented with acute abdomen and a pulsating epigastric lump. A diagnosis of double pseudoaneurysm of SA with a concomitant pseudocyst was made based on contrast-enhanced computed tomography and was confirmed by angiography. The endovascular coil embolization by the standard sandwich-technique was expected to increase the risk of expansion and rupture of the distal pseudoaneurysm, and hence was managed by adapting a modified endovascular technique, following which patient made uneventful recovery. Double pseudoaneurysm of SA associated with chronic pancreatitis is an unusual presentation. Conventional endovascular treatment used for single aneurysm may not be feasible in the presence of two aneurysms, and it needs to be tailored according to the physical site, size, and the anatomy of the vasculature associated with the aneurysms.

Keywords

• Double pseudoaneurysm
• embolization
• endovascular
• pancreatitis
• splenic artery