FEMORAL-ARTERY PSEUDOANEURYSM - DOPPLER SONOGRAPHIC FEATURES PREDICTIVE FOR SPONTANEOUS THROMBOSIS

Purpose. The objective of th is prospective study was to evaluate whet her Doppler imaging characteristics can be used to predict spontaneous thrombosis of femoral artery pseudoaneurysms (PAs). Methods. Eleven p ost-cardiac catheterization PAs were monitored with color Doppler sono graphy. Total volume of the lesion, volume filled with free-flowing bl ood, length and width of the neck of the PA, and its anatomic position were evaluated. Results. All of the PAs in our series underwent spont aneous thrombosis. PAs with necks 0.9 cm or longer underwent spontaneo us thrombosis in 9.8 days on average, while PAs with necks shorter tha n 0.9 cm required an average of 52 days to thrombose. Conclusions. PAs with longer neck lengths are more likely to thrombose in a shorter pe riod than are those with shorter necks. It may thus be worthwhile to a wait spontaneous resolution when the aneurysmal neck length is 0.9 cm or more. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.