Stent graft in the treatment of pseudoaneurysms of the hepatic arteries.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the technical feasibility, procedural complications, clinical follow-up, and computed tomography (CT) scan outcomes of hepatic artery pseudoaneurysms (HAPs) treated with stent graft.

METHODS

Between October 2004 and October 2009, we treated 8 patients with HAPs with stent graft.

RESULTS

Stent graft deployment was technically successful in all the patients. Complete exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm preserving patency of the hepatic artery was achieved in 6 patients. Total occlusion of the common hepatic artery was observed in 1 patient, and vasospasm of proper hepatic artery and endoleak from distal stent margin were observed in another patient. The 2 patient were controlled through occlusion parent artery with coils. After these procedures, symptoms of bleeding and abdominal pain disappeared. Follow-up enhanced CT scan was performed at an average of 14 months (range, 6-26 months), which showed complete disappearance of the HAP and patency of the stent without intrastent stenosis in 6 patients who had successful deployment of the stent.

CONCLUSIONS

Endovascular treatment of HAPs using stent graft can maintain the hepatic artery blood flow and could be considered as an alternative to embolization.