Use of perfusional angiosonography in liver transplantation and conservative management of post-transplant intra-hepatic pseudo-aneurysm.
Hepatic artery pseudo-aneurysm is a rare but severe complication of liver transplantation, which generally requires immediate surgical or angiographic treatment. The diagnosis is usually made by splanchnic percutaneous angiography. We report a case of an intra-hepatic pseudo-aneurysm after surgical correction of a thrombosed hepatic artery and its successful response to conservative management. Duplex Doppler ultrasound, associated with a new B-mode contrast-based sonographic technique, called "perfusional angiosonography", was used to diagnose the intra-hepatic pseudo-aneurysm. The combination of the two ultrasound techniques was useful in following the course of the pseudo-aneurysm, without further need for angiography. Eventually, this pseudo-aneurysm underwent spontaneous obliteration.
Piscaglia
Fabio
F
Division of Internal Medicine-Bolondi, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, via Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, Italy. Piscagl@med.unibo.it
Cecilioni
Laura
L
Gaiani
Stefano
S
Rossi
Cristina
C
Losinno
Francesco
F
Cescon
Matteo
M
Camaggi
Valeria
V
Mancini
Mikaela
M
Bolondi
Luigi
L
D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000792:Angiography; D003287:Contrast Media; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
D003287:Contrast Media