Visceral artery aneurysms. A review

Abstract

Although rare, visceral artery aneurysms are reported with increasing frequency, mostly as a result of the growing use of angiography in unclear cases of abdominal symptoms. The splenic artery aneurysms are by far the most common, followed in frequency by the renal and hepatic artery aneurysms. The splenic and renal artery should undergo surgery in all cases of symptomatic aneurysms, asymptomatic aneurysms discovered in pregnant women or women of childbearing age, aneurysms with documented growth, and aneurysms with a diameter more than 2 cm. The hepatic artery aneurysms as well as the more rare aneurysms should be treated surgically as soon as the diagnosis is established because the natural course of these aneurysms seems to be progression to rupture. In high risk patients, transcatheter arterial embolisation has recently proven to be a useful alternative to surgery in many cases.