Endovascular treatment of pseudoaneurysms in pancreatitis

INTRODUCTION: Haemorrhagic complications are commonly reported in the course of acute pancreatitis (AP). The most dangerous are pseudoaneurysms secondary to wall erosion of the vessels crossing the inflammation area. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of different embolisation techniques of pseudoaneurysms secondary to AP. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The treatment outcomes in 10 AP patients were analysed in a follow-up period of 1 to 10 months (most frequently: splenic or gastroduodenal artery aneurysms). A total of 12 endovascular procedures were performed (thrombin embolisation, coil embolisation or combined). The efficacy of aneurysm sac exclusion and the patency of the treated vessel were compared. RESULTS: The follow-up examination on postprocedural day 7 revealed aneurysm refilling in 3 out of 11 cases. Three patients showed an occlusion of the aneurysm-parent vessel. One month after the procedures, involving 10 patients, a vessel occlusion was confirmed in 3 and aneurysm sac refilling in another 2 patients. Taking into consideration the type of the procedure performed, treatment failure in the form of sac refilling was observed in half of thrombin-based procedures, 25% of coil embolisations and 33% of sandwich technique procedures. Similar failure distribution was noted for vessel occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that thrombin injection was least successful, whereas thrombin injection into the sac and implantation of coils into the aneurysm neck seems to be the optimal procedure, in respect to both the cost-effectiveness of the procedure and late outcomes.