A Case of Pseudoaneurysm of Common Hepatic Artery following Pancreatitis

Kosei Maemura, Sonshin Takao, Yasuto Uchikado, Takaaki Arigami, Itaru Omoto, Mitsuru Mutou, Ryuzou Sakata* and Takashi Aikou

Department of Surgical Oncology, Digestive Surgery, Kagoshima University School of Medicine
*Department of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Surgery, Kagoshima University School of Medicine

We report a case of pseudoaneurysm of the common hepatic artery due to alcohol-related pancreatits. A 36-year old man was admitted to the hospital with upper abdominal and back pain after drinking. As elevation of serum amylase was observed, he was diagnosed as having acute pancreatitis. CT and abdominal ultra sonogram showed an aneurysm near the pancreas head. Angiographies revealed a pseudoaneurysm of common hepatic artery, of 4 cm in diameter, near the junction of the gastroduodenal artery. The patient was transferred to our hospital for treatment. Arterial transcatheter embolization was abandoned due to the risk of rupture. We performed dissection of the aneurysm. The partial defect of the common hepatic artery was repaired using a saphenous vein graft. Our surgical treatment represents adequate management for unruputured pseudoaneurysms of the common hepatic artery.

Key words
pseudoaneurysm, pancreatitis, saphenous vein graft

Reprint requests
Kosei Maemura Department of Surgical Oncology, Digestive Surgery, Kagoshima University, School of Medicine
8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8520 JAPAN

Accepted
October 29, 2003

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