Background: To analyze our experience in endovascular treatment as first-line approach for severe and acute hemorrhage in patients with chronic pancreatitis.
Methods: From 2010 to 2016 at our institution, 12 males (mean age 66 years) with bleeding pseudoaneurysms (PSAs) underwent urgent visceral angiography and endovascular treatment. All patients had chronic pancreatitis. True visceral artery aneurysms and PSAs arising after surgery were excluded from the study.
Results: Pancreatitis was caused by alcohol abuse in 9 (9/12, 75%) patients and biliary lithiasis in 3 (3/12, 25%). Involved arteries were gastroduodenal (5/12, 50%), splenic (2/12, 16%), common hepatic (2/12, 16%), middle colic (1/12, 9%), and celiac trunk (1/12, 9%). All patients underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA) scan and visceral angiography followed by endovascular treatment using different devices. Technical success rate was 100%. Bleeding was stopped in all patients, and no one required reembolization. No major complications occurred. There were 2 complications associated with the endovascular procedure: in one case, a coil migration and in another case, in-stent restenosis at 6 months. Follow-up included CTA performed during hospitalization and at 6 months after the procedure.
Conclusions: Our experience confirms the role of CTA and visceral angiography as diagnostic and therapeutic tool, respectively.
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