Rotura aneurismática de la arteria hepática común / Ruptured common hepatic artery aneurysm

RESUMEN Los aneurismas de la arteria hepática son una patología poco frecuente. Cuando son sintomáticos, se debe sospechar un sufrimiento aneurismático y su tratamiento está indicado. Presentamos el caso clínico de un paciente con mal terreno cardiovascular, que consultó por un cuadro clínico de dolor epigástrico, repercusión hemodinámica e ictericia. La imagenología evidenció la presencia de un aneurisma de la arteria hepática común complicado con compromiso del origen de la arteria hepática propia y la arteria gastroduodenal. La presencia de una vascularización arterial hepática "no convencional" con una arteria hepática derecha proveniente de la arteria mesentérica superior, en la angiotomografía, permitió cambiar la táctica quirúrgica haciéndose prescindible la realización de un bypass. Este caso resalta la importancia de determinar en el preoperatorio no solo la extensión del aneurisma, sino también la anatomía vascular hepática a fin de planificar mejor la cirugía, disminuyendo así la morbimortalidad de esta enfermedad.

ABSTRACT Hepatic artery aneurysms are rare. Expanding aneurysms should be suspected in case of symptoms and treatment is indicated. We report the case of a patient with a history of cardiovascular disease who sought medical care due to epigastric pain, hemodynamic instability and jaundice. The imaging tests showed the presence of an aneurysm of the common hepatic artery complicated with involvement of the origin of the proper hepatic artery and the gastroduodenal artery. The surgical approach could be changed due to presence of a "non-conventional" hepatic arterial variant with a right hepatic artery originating from the superior mesenteric artery in the computed tomography angiography as bypass surgery was not necessary. This case highlights the importance of determining the extent of the aneurysm in the preoperative period and the anatomy of the hepatic vessels to better plan the surgery, thus reducing morbidity and mortality of this disease.

Rotura de pseudoaneurisma de arteria uterina tras cesárea / Uterine artery pseudoaneurysm rupture after cesarean section

RESUMEN El pseudoaneurisma de arteria uterina es una causa de hemorragia puerperal poco frecuente y de gran gravedad cuya principal manifestación es el sangrado puerperal tardío. Esta complicación suele ocurrir de manera tardía tras una cirugía pélvica, aunque también está descrito tras el parto. La prueba de elección para el diagnóstico de esta complicación es la angiografía que permite además su tratamiento en el mismo acto, asociando una menor morbilidad y preservando la fertilidad de la paciente. Presentamos el caso de un pseudoaneurisma de arteria uterina tras cesárea cuya manifestación fue un hemoperitoneo masivo a los 17 días de la cesárea y que se resolvió mediante angiografía con embolización supraselectiva del mismo.

ABSTRACT Uterine artery pseudoaneurysm is a serious complication but an uncommon cause of postpartum haemorrhage which can mainly manifest as a severe bleeding in the late puerperium. This complication usually occurs after pelvic surgery, although it is also described after vaginal delivery. Angiography is the best diagnosis method which joins not only the diagnosis but also the treatment at the same moment, reducing the morbidity and preserving fertility. We report a case of a uterine artery pseudoaneurysm after cesarean delivery whose clinical manifestation was a massive haemoperitoneum after 17 days of the cesarean. It was treated by angiographic selective embolization of uterine artery pseudoaneurysm.

Enfermedad multianeurismática: a propósito de un caso / Multi-aneurysmal disease: a case report

Resumen Introducción: La enfermedad multianeurismática es una entidad patológica poco conocida, la cual presenta diversas etiologías, por lo que su localización, morfología y formas de presentación varían de un caso a otro. Caso clínico: Mujer de 51 años dislipémica. Acude por epigastralgia. Se realiza TC abdominal con resultados de hematoma retroperitoneal y aneurisma en arteria pancreática duodenal. Se practica cirugía urgente para evacuación del hematoma sin encontrarse más hallazgos. Durante el ingreso presenta crisis hipertensivas y se realiza nuevo AngioTC donde se visualizan múltiples lesiones en distintas arterias viscerales con posibilidad diagnóstica de vasculitis. Se decide no intervención en el momento actual y estudio de filiación. Discusión: La enfermedad multianeurismática es una entidad poco común, cuya etiología se determina de acuerdo con su correlación clínica e histopatológica con diversas posibles causas; sin embargo, establecer un diagnóstico en donde el cuadro clínico coincida al 100%, es un desafío. Es muy frecuente la afectación de las arterias viscerales a diferencia de los aneurismas de origen ateroesclerótico. El tratamiento quirúrgico es seguro y deberá iniciarse en los segmentos que estén causando la sintomatología. El tratamiento endovascular es menos invasivo siendo la técnica de elección en pacientes con elevada comorbilidad y en los casos de cirugía complicada con rotura.

Introduction: Multiple artery aneurysms are a rare pathological condition which may be caused by different etiologies. Therefore, its location, morphology and clinical presentation may vary in a case to case basis. Case report: A 51-year-old woman, prior history of dyslipedemia presents with upper abdominal pain. Abdominal tomographic scans showed aneurysm of the pancreaticduodenal artery and retroperitoneal hematoma. Emergent surgical evacuation of the hematoma was performed, with no other findings. In the postoperative period, the patient suffers hypertensive crisis and a new tomographic scan is conducted observing multiple dilations in different visceral arteries. The patient is treated conservatively and is being studied for a possible vasculitis. Discussion: Multi-aneurysmatic artery disease is a very rare entity, its etiology is determined by clinical and histopathological correlation. Although establishing a diagnosis in which the clinical presentation completely corresponds, is a real challenge. Unlike degenerative aneurysms due to atherosclerosis, multi-aneurysmatic disease commonly involves visceral arteries. Open surgery is considered safe treatment option and should be established in the segments causing symptoms. Endovascular treatment is less invasive, being the technique of choice in patients with high comorbidity and in cases of complicated surgery with rupture.

Clinical and pathological challenges in the diagnosis of late-onset biliary atresia: four case studies

Biliary atresia (BA) is classically described at the neonatal age. However, rare cases of BA in older infants have also been reported. We report four cases of late-onset BA in infants older than 4 weeks (3 males, 1 female), and describe the diagnostic and management difficulties. One of the cases had a late-onset (29 weeks) presentation with a successful surgical procedure. We highlight the importance of this unusual differential diagnosis in infants with cholestatic syndrome, who may benefit from Kasai surgery, regardless of age.

Hepatic artery aneurysm: a rare cause of obscure upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Hepatic artery aneurysms are rare and represent 0.01-0.2% of all arterial aneurysms. The patient may present with abdominal pain, which may be associated with a mass. More acutely, patients present with signs of hypovolemia secondary to rupture of the aneurysm. The patient reported here presented with right upper abdominal pain and gastrointestinal hemorrhage of unknown etiology. A CT angiogram showed presence of hepatic artery aneurysm. Aneurysm was excised at laparotomy.

Hepatic artery aneurysm: incidental diagnosis with abdominal ultrasonography and treatment by coil embolization / Aneurisma de artéria hepática: diagnóstico incidental com ultrassonografia do abdome e tratamento por embolização com molas

Hepatic artery aneurysm (HAA) was first reported at autopsy in 1809, represents one fifth of visceral aneurysms and the mortality from spontaneous rupture is high in most of cases. We are reporting a case of an asymptomatic 48-year-old woman with an extrahepatic HAA, diagnosed initially and incidentally with abdominal ultrasonography, confirmed by a three-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and angiography. Endovascular treatment was considered feasible and was successfully treated with coil embolization.

Aneurisma da artéria hepática (AAH) foi relatado pela primeira vez através de autópsia em 1809, representa um quinto dos aneurismas viscerais, e a mortalidade por ruptura espontânea é alta na maioria dos casos. Relatamos o caso de uma mulher de 48 anos de idade com um AAH extra-hepático assintomático, diagnosticado inicialmente, e incidentalmente, com ultrassonografia abdominal e confirmado através de angiorressonância tridimensional e angiografia contrastada. O tratamento endovascular foi considerado viável, sendo tratada com sucesso através de embolização com molas.

A case of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma of the rib, treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization / 대한간학회지

Bone is a common site of metastasis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We report a rare case of rib metastasis from HCC treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). A 55-year-old man with liver cirrhosis presented with right lower chest pain. The diagnosis was an HCC with a bone metastasis in the right eighth rib. Intra-arterial injections of doxorubicin mixed with Lipiodol and Gelfoam particles were instituted through the right eighth intercostal artery. Computed tomography and a Tc99-labeled scan performed 2 months after the third TACE revealed no viable HCC in the right eighth rib.

Surgical importance of variant hepatic blood vessels: a case report

This report describes a variation in blood vessels of the liver and abnormal entry of hepatic arteries into the liver found during routine dissection in an approximately 43-year-old male cadaver. An accessory hepatic artery arose from the superior mesenteric artery and entered the liver at the porta hepatis, whereas the proper hepatic artery was seen entering the left liver lobe at the fissure for ligamentum venosum. Clinical implications of such variation are discussed in the article.

Este relato descreve uma variação nos vasos hepáticos e uma entrada anormal de artérias hepáticas no fígado, encontradas durante uma dissecção de rotina em um cadáver masculino de aproximadamente 43 anos. Uma artéria hepática acessória surgiu da artéria mesentérica superior e entrou no fígado no porta hepatis, ao passo que se constatou que a artéria hepática própria entrava no lobo hepático na fissura do ligamento venoso. Implicações clínicas desta variação são discutidas neste artigo.

Hemodynamic changes on color Doppler flow imaging and intravenous contrast-enhanced ultrasound for assessing transplanted liver and early diagnosis of complications / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The value of color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and intravenous contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for assessing the transplanted liver and early diagnosing complications by examining hemodynamic changes was discussed. Seventy-five patients with orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) underwent CDFI. The following parameters were measured: peak systolic velocity (PS), resistance index (RI) and Doppler perfusion index (DPI) of the hepatic artery (HA), time average velocity (TAV) of portal vein (PV) and velocity of hepatic vein (HV) in different stages postoperation. And 11 patients of them received CEUS. Thirty healthy subjects were enrolled as controls. The results showed that: (1) In 23 patients without obvious complications, TAV of PV within 15 days post-operation was significantly higher than in controls (P<0.05), PS and DPI of HA within 7 days postoperation were lower, but RI was higher than in controls (P<0.05); (2) When the hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) occurred, PS and DPI of HA were obviously decreased, but TAV of PV significantly increased like a high saw-tooth wave; (3) While rejection occurred, both TAV of PV and PS of HA were decreased with the increase in RI of HA, and the triphasic wave of HV disappeared and displayed as saw-tooth wave; (4) The incidence of biliary complications in liver transplantation was increased when DPI was reduced; (5) Seven cases of hepatic carcinoma relapse after OLT demonstrated hyperecho in the arterial phase and hypoecho in the portal and later phase on CEUS; (6) In 2 cases of HA thrombus, there was no visualized enhancement in arterial phase of CEUS, but enhancement during the portal vein and parenchymal phase. It was concluded that the hemodynamic changes of PV, HA and HV in the transplanted liver are valuable for assessing the transplanted liver and early diagnosing complications on CDFI and CEUS.

Pseudo-aneurisma de artéria hepática comum direita em mulher jovem com Lupus Eritematoso Sistêmico / Pseudoaneurysm of the right common hepatic artery in a young woman with SystemicLupus Erythematosus

Aneurismas de artéria hepática comum são lesões vasculares raras e representam a segunda incidência deaneurismas de artérias viscerais. As principais etiologias são: aterosclerose (32%) e trauma (22%). Outrascausas menos comuns são vasculites, procedimentos diagnósticos e terapêuticos percutâneos e complicação anastomótica de transplante de fígado. O diagnóstico de aneurisma intra-hepático é difícil antes de suaruptura, o qual está associado a uma mortalidade superior a 20% dos casos. Este artigo relata a história de uma paciente do sexo feminino, de 26 anos, portadora de Lupus Eritematoso Sistêmico (LES) que apresentavahá 2 meses dor tipo cólica na parte superior do abdome com irradiação para dorso. O diagnóstico de pseudo-aneurisma de artéria hepática comum foi feito após investigação da dor abdominal com métodos de imagem.Para aneurisma intra-hepático, o tratamento de escolha é a embolização, e este procedimento tem aumentado a sobrevida desses pacientes. Em alguns casos de aneurismas proximais, torna-se necessária a ressecção do fígado ou mesmo de transplante hepático.

Hepatic artery aneurysms are rare vascular lesions and represent a second incidence of aneurysms ofvisceral arteries. The main etiologies are atherosclerosis (32%) and trauma (22%). Other less common causesinclude vasculitis, diagnostic procedures, percutaneous therapies and as an anastomotic complication ofliver transplantation. Diagnosis of an intra-hepatic aneurysm before its rupture is difficult; ruptures areassociated to mortality in more that 20% of the cases. This work reports the case of a 26-year-old femalepatient with systemic lupus erythematosus who presented with a colic-type pain in the upper abdomen withirradiation to the back for two months. The diagnosis of hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm was made after animaging investigation of the abdominal pain. The first-line treatment for intra-hepatic aneurysms is embolization,which improves the patients’ survival rate. In some cases of proximal aneurysms, resection of the liver oreven liver transplantation is required.

Expression of Caveolin in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Association with Unpaired Artery Formation and Radiologic Findings / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is becoming one of the common malignant tumors worldwide, and it is characterized by its high vascularity. Caveolin is the major structural protein in caveolae, which are small omega-shaped invaginations within the plasma membrane. Caveolin has been implicated in mitogenic signaling, oncogenesis and angiogenesis. The expression of caveolin-1 and -2 in HCC and its potential relationship with angiogenesis has not been examined. METHODS: Paraffin sections of 35 HCC specimens were immunostained with caveolin-1, caveolin-2, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and CD34 antibodies. In addition, the expression of caveolin-1 and -2 mRNA in HCC was examined. The relationship between the radiological findings and the number of unpaired arteries and microvessel density (MVD) was also investigated. RESULTS: Caveolin-1 and -2 were expressed in the sinusoidal endothelial cells in 20 out of 35, and 18 out of 35 HCC specimens, respectively. Caveolin-1 and -2 were also expressed in the smooth muscle cells of the unpaired arteries in 26 out of 35, and 18 out of 35 HCC specimens, respectively. Increased expression of caveolin-1 and -2 mRNA was detected in 26.7% and 33.3% of the tumor specimens, respectively, compared with the corresponding non-tumorous adjacent liver tissues. There was a significant correlation between expression of caveolin-1, -2 in the smooth muscle cells of unpaired arteries and the number of unpaired arteries. The number of unpaired arteries in HCCs was found to be associated with the degree of contrast enhancement in the arterial phase imaging. However, it did not correlate with the degree of MVD. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the expression of caveolin-1, -2 is associated with the formation of unpaired arteries in HCC. In addition, there is a correlation between the degree of contrast enhancement of the HCC in the arterial phase image and the number of unpaired arteries.

Hepatic Artery Pseudoaneurysm Associated with Plastic Biliary Stent

The increased use of interventional procedures and laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the management of hepatobiliary disorders is associated with an increased incidence of hemobilia and hepatic artery aneurysm. Here we report a case of hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm associated with a plastic biliary stent. Multiple factors were involved in the formation of the hepatic artery aneurysm (HAA) and it was successfully treated by embolization.

Hemobilia from Ruptured Hepatic Artery Aneurysm in Polyarteritis Nodosa

Hemobilia, in patients with the diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa, is rare at clinical presentation and has a grave prognosis. We describe a case of massive hemobilia, due to aneurysmal rupture, in a patient with polyarteritis nodosa. A 39-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with upper abdominal pain. The patient had a history of partial small bowel resection, for intestinal infarction, about 5 years prior to this presentation. Abdominal computed tomography demonstrated multiple high attenuation areas in the bile duct and gallbladder. Hemobilia with blood seepage was visualized on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; this bleeding stopped spontaneously. The following day, the patient developed a massive gastrointestinal bleed with resultant hypovolemic shock. Emergent hepatic angiogram revealed multiple microaneurysms; a communication was identified between a branch of the left hepatic artery and the bile duct. Hepatic arterial embolization was successfully performed. The underlying disease, polyarteritis nodosa, was managed with prednisolone and cyclophosphamide.

Radiofrequency Ablation of Rabbit Liver In Vivo: Effect of the Pringle Maneuver on Pathologic Changes in Liver Surrounding the Ablation Zone

OBJECTIVE: We wished to evaluate the effect of the Pringle maneuver (occlusion of both the hepatic artery and portal vein) on the pathologic changes in the hepatic vessels, bile ducts and liver parenchyma surrounding the ablation zone in rabbit livers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiofrequency (RF) ablation zones were created in the livers of 24 rabbits in vivo by using a 50-W, 480-kHz monopolar RF generator and a 15-gauge expandable electrode with four sharp prongs for 7 mins. The tips of the electrodes were placed in the liver parenchyma near the porta hepatis with the distal 1 cm of their prongs deployed. Radiofrequency ablation was performed in the groups with (n=12 rabbits) and without (n=12 rabbits) the Pringle maneuver. Three animals of each group were sacrificed immediately, three days (the acute phase), seven days (the early subacute phase) and two weeks (the late subacute phase) after RF ablation. The ablation zones were excised and serial pathologic changes in the hepatic vessels, bile ducts and liver parenchyma surrounding the ablation zone were evaluated. RESULTS: With the Pringle maneuver, portal vein thrombosis was found in three cases (in the immediate [n=2] and acute phase [n=1]), bile duct dilatation adjacent to the ablation zone was found in one case (in the late subacute phase [n=1]), infarction adjacent to the ablation zone was found in three cases (in the early subacute [n=2] and late subacute [n=1] phases). None of the above changes was found in the livers ablated without the Pringle maneuver. On the microscopic findings, centrilobular congestion, sinusoidal congestion, sinusoidal platelet and neutrophilic adhesion, and hepatocyte vacuolar and ballooning changes in liver ablated with Pringle maneuver showed more significant changes than in those livers ablated without the Pringle maneuver (p < 0.05) CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency ablation with the Pringle maneuver created more severe pathologic changes in the portal vein, bile ducts and liver parenchyma surrounding the ablation zone compared with RF ablation without the Pringle maneuver. Therefore, we suggest that RF ablation with the Pringle maneuver should be performed with great caution in order to avoid unwanted thermal injury.

Manejo de las complicaciones biliares en 300 trasplantes hepáticos / Biliary complications of liver transplantation: our experince in 300 cases

Antecedentes: las complicaciones biliares (CB) son consideradas por muchos el "Talón de Aquiles" del Trasplante Hepático. Su incidencia varía entre un 7 a un 35 por ciento. Se pueden agrupar según su frecuencia de presentación en estenosis, bilirragias y misceláneas. En la actualidad se cuenta con un manejo multimodal que incluye los procedimientos percutáneos, endoscópicos y/o quirúrgicos. Objetivos: describir la incidencia y tipos de CB en nuestra serie de 300 trasplantes y describir las modalidades terapéuticas empleadas y sus resultados. Diseño: estudio retrospectivo y descriptivo. Población: entre enero de 1988 y junio de 2000, 300 trasplantes hepáticos fueron realizados en 276 pacientes en la Unidad de Trasplante Hepático del Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. Método: se evaluaron en el receptor la edad, indicación del trasplante, tipo de injerto, tipo de reconstrucción biliar, existencia de trombosis de la arteria hepática. De la CB se evaluaron el tipo, tratamiento y su resultado. Resultados: las CB ocurrieron en 52 de los 300 injertos trasplantados, lo que corresponde a un 17,33 por ciento, presentándose en 24 receptores pediátricos y en 28 receptores adultos lo que representa un índice de CB en dichas poblaciones del 20 y 15 por ciento respectivamente. Las CB más frecuentemente halladas en la serie total, fueron las estenosis (9 por ciento) y las bilirragias (5 por ciento). La hepático-yeyuno anastomosis tuvo 23,8 por ciento de CB, mientras que la colédoco-colédoco lo tuvo en un 12,3 por ciento. 10 de los 11 pacientes que presentaron trombosis de la arteria hepática presentaron CB. Se practicó tratamiento inicial quirúrgico en un 21 por ciento, percutáneo en un 52 por ciento, endoscópico en un 23 por ciento y tratamiento médico en sólo un 4 por ciento de los pacientes. La mortalidad atribuida a las CB fue sólo un 1,9 por ciento. Conclusiones: 1. Las CB son causa frecuente de morbilidad en el trasplante hepático. 2. Las trombosis de la arteria hepática se asocian a una mayor incidencia de CB, por lo que debe plantearse su diagnóstico frente a la aparición de una CB. 3. Los procedimientos percutáneos y endoscópicos son eficaces como único tratamiento en una importante proporción de los pacientes optimizando el estado general y local de los pacientes que requirieron tratamiento quirúrgico ulterior...

Test-bolus injection for optimization of arterial phase imaging during contrast-enhanced hepatic MR imaging

Contrast enhancement during the dynamic MR imaging is important for the detection and characterization of focal liver lesions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a timing examination with a injection of a 1.0-mL bolus of gadopentetate dimeglumine into the antecubital vein followed by rapid dynamic scanning and measurement of signal intensity of the aorta could help to obtain proper arterial-dominant phase images for the characterization of focal hepatic lesions during subsequent multiphase dynamic MR imaging. The imaging delay to acquisition of the first gadolinium-enhanced image for multiphase dynamic MR imaging was set to equal the time to peak aortic enhancement during the test examination. The first contrast-enhanced images of 80 patients with 160 focal liver lesions (hepatocellular carcinoma, n = 79; cavernous hemangioma, n = 51; metastatic tumor, n = 30) were then retrospectively reviewed. Peak aortic enhancement occurred between 10 and 28 seconds (mean, 16.5 seconds +/- 3.1) after starting the infusion of contrast material in 80 patients during the test-examination. Depending on the findings of intrahepatic vascular enhancement on the full-scale dynamic images, hepatic arterial phase (n = 11, 14%) or sinusoid phase (n = 65, 81%) imaging was obtained during the first gadolinium-enhanced acquisition in 76 (95%) of 80 patients. Three different lesions were well characterized and easily distinguished from each other (p < .0001) on the first-phase images depending on their enhancement pattern. In the majority of patients, timing examination with test-bolus injection was helpful in obtaining qualified images for the characterization of various focal lesions.