Diagnosis and management of pseudoaneurysms.

Pseudoaneurysms develop at the site of arterial access when there is failure to establish adequate hemostasis. The number of percutaneous diagnostic and therapeutic coronary and peripheral vascular interventions has increased and with it a commensurate rise in the incidence of pseudoaneurysms is observed. Clinical examination and color-flow duplex ultrasound identify the majority of pseudoaneurysms. Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection has been shown to be the ideal method to treat the vast majority of false aneurysms. In a small number of cases, alternative endovascular techniques or open surgical repair is required.