Visceral artery aneurysms as seen in a community hospital.
BACKGROUND
Visceral artery aneurysm (VAA) is a rare but important form of vascular pathology.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review was performed for all patients treated for VAAs from 1980 to 1998 at the Northern California Kaiser Hospitals.


RESULTS
Thirty-one patients with VAAs were treated, 11 men and 20 women with an average age of 60 years. The arteries involved were 15 splenic, 8 hepatic, 5 superior mesenteric branch, 1 left gastric, 1 gastroduodenal, and 1 left colic. Seventy-four percent of patients presented with acute abdominal pain and/or shock secondary to aneurysm rupture. Angioembolization was performed in 9, and 25 were treated surgically. There was no morbidity, and 1 death (3.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with VAAs often present to the community hospital general surgeon as acute abdominal emergencies. Symptomatic VAAs can be managed successfully by simple ligation in the primary care setting.
Carmeci
C
C
Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
McClenathan
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D000792:Angiography; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013157:Splenic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods