Treatment of radial and ulnar artery pseudoaneurysms using percutaneous thrombin injection

Abstract

Pseudoaneurysm formation is a recognized complication of arterial catheterization or traumatic arterial disruption, which may lead to considerable morbidity. Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection has been shown to be effective in the treatment of peripheral pseudoaneurysms; however, its application in the management of radial or ulnar artery pseudoaneurysms has not been well established. Arterial thrombosis and distal embolization are concerns when treating a pseudoaneurysm involving a small vessel. We performed successful ultrasound-guided thrombin injection of a 3-cm radial artery and a 2.5-cm ulnar artery pseudoaneurysm resulting from arterial catheterization and missed arterial trauma, respectively. Radial artery recannalization occurred 28 days after the procedure whereas the ulnar artery remained patent throughout the observation period. Copyright © 2004 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.