Management of visceral artery aneurysms. Retrospective study of 23 cases.

Study aim: To evaluate symptoms and results of the treatment of aneuryms of digestive arteries.Patients and method: Retrospective study of 23 patients (14 male and 9 female, mean age=51 years) treated in two departements of academic hospital. We studied the aneurysm caracteristics (location, number, size, etiology) the type of treatment, and occurence of post-operative complications.Results: The aneurysms involved the splenic artery in 13 patients (56%), the superior mesenteric artery in 5 patients (22%), the hepatic artery in 3 patients (13%), the gastro-epiploic artery in 2 patients (9%). There were thirty-one aneurysms (24 true aneurysms and 7 pseudo-aneurysms) in 23 patients. Diagnosis was mainly done by the CT-scan. An aneurysm rupture occured in 7 patients (30%). Treatment was surgery for 26 aneurysms (84%) or a radiological embolization in 3; abstention was decided for 2 aneurysms (6%). No death was observed.Conclusion: The bad prognosis after rupture, the lack of predictive factors of rupture combined with the good results of surgical treatment suggest to prefer a surgical treatment at first. Embolization could be reserved for the contre-indication of surgery and when aneurysms are poorly accessible to surgery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]