TRANSCATHETER EMBOLIZATION OF PSEUDOANEURYSMS COMPLICATING PANCREATITIS

Purpose: To evaluate the therapeutic role of angiography in patients w ith pseudoaneurysms complicating pancreatitis, Methods: Thirteen sympt omatic pseudoaneurysms were treated in nine patients with pancreatitis , Eight patients had chronic pancreatitis and pseudocyst and one had a cute pancreatitis. Clinical presentation in eluded gastrointestinal bl eeding in seven patients and epigastric pain without bleeding in two. All patients underwent transcatheter embolization. Results: Transcathe ter embolization resulted in symptomatic resolution in all patients. R ebleeding occurred in two patients, 18 and 28 days after embolization respectively, and was successfully treated by repeated emnbolization. One patient with severe pancreatitis died from sepsis 28 days after em bolization. Followup was then available for eight patients with no rel apse of bleeding after a mean follow-up of 32 months (range 9-48 month s). Conclusion: Transcatheter embolization is safe and effective in th e management of pseudoaneurysms complicating pancreatitis.