Diagnosis and treatment of hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm following liver transplantation / 中华消化外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm (HAPA) after liver transplantation.Methods The clinical data of 4 patients who had HAPA after liver transplantation at the No.309 Hospital of PLA from April 2002 to April 2010 were retrospectively analyzed.All the 4 patients had abdominal massive hemorrhage,and 2 of them were complicated by bile leakage and bile duct bleeding.Peritoneal effusion was observed in the 4 patients,and 3 of them were complicated by peritoneal infection.All the patients were diagnosed and treated by angiography and exploratory laparotomy.Results The mean time of hemorrhage of ruptured HAPA was 24.6 days (range,14-35 days).One of the patients was diagnosed by exploratory laparotomy,and the other 3 patients were diagnosed by angiography.Hemostasis of HAPA was successed in 1 patient by hepatic artery ligation,2 patients by interventional embolization + endovascular covered coronary stent grafts implantation guided by digital subtraction angiography (DSA),1 patient by interventional embolization.1 patients died of hepatic failure and 1 died of multiple organ disfunction syndrome.Conclusions Early diagnosis of HAPA after liver transplantation is difficult and the mortality is high.Interventional embolization + endovascular covered coronary stent grafts implantation guided by DSA is the first choice for the diagnosis and treatment of HAPA.