Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Thrombin Injection of Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysms Caused by Vascular Access.

PURPOSE

To analyze the success and complication rates and factors associated with technical failure of the ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous thrombin injection of femoral artery pseudoaneurysms caused by vascular access.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Records of 30 patients with post-catheterization femoral artery pseudoaneurysms who had been treated with US-guided percutaneous thrombin injections in the department of radiology between March 2009 and June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The lesion was diagnosed based on US or contrast-enhanced CT. The characteristics of the patients and their lesions were analyzed.

RESULTS

The mean patient age was 67.8 years. The mean diameter of the pseudoaneurysmal sac was 20.88 mm (5-40 mm). Twenty patients (66.6%) obtained complete thrombosis after the primary injection, while 10 patients (33.3%) obtained partial thrombosis. The number of patients with a low platelet count (< 130 k/µL) was significantly higher in the partial thrombosis group than in the complete thrombosis group ( = 0.02). No substantial procedure-related complications were found in any patient.

CONCLUSION

The US-guided percutaneous thrombin injection is considered an initial treatment option for pseudoaneurysms caused by vascular access because of its safety and efficacy.