Treatment of iatrogenic femoral pseudoaneurysm by ultrasound-guided compression therapy and thrombin injection

Angiology. 2007 Aug-Sep;58(4):435-9. doi: 10.1177/0003319706294608.

Abstract

Development of an arterial pseudoaneurysm is a common complication following cardiac catheterization. We analyzed data from 6,300 patients who received left heart catheterization at our institution. One day after the procedure, approximately 10% of the patients were examined with duplex sonography. In 204 patients (3.0%), a pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery was diagnosed. All patients underwent compression therapy. Thereby, 159 of the pseudoaneurysms could be treated successfully. The remaining 45 pseudoaneurysms had a maximal diameter of more than 1.5 cm. Forty-two patients underwent ultrasound and biopsy-line-guided thrombin injection without complications. This strategy resulted in a successful occlusion in 41 cases. Pseudoaneurysms smaller than 2 cm can be treated with compression therapy. Larger pseudoaneurysms can be occluded by thrombin injection using ultrasound guidance. Patients with a pseudoaneurysm with a wide "neck" should be treated surgically, because the risk of an arterial occlusion following thrombin injection cannot be excluded.

MeSH terms

  • Aneurysm, False* / diagnostic imaging
  • Aneurysm, False* / etiology
  • Aneurysm, False* / therapy
  • Cardiac Catheterization / adverse effects*
  • Femoral Artery / diagnostic imaging
  • Femoral Artery / injuries*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Hemostatic Techniques*
  • Hemostatics / administration & dosage*
  • Humans
  • Iatrogenic Disease
  • Injections, Intra-Arterial
  • Pressure
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Thrombin / administration & dosage*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex*

Substances

  • Hemostatics
  • Thrombin