A CASE OF ASYMPTOMATIC GIANT ANEURYSM OF THE COMMON HEPATIC-ARTERY

The authors are presenting a case of asymptomatic giant aneurysm of th e common hepatic artery in a 72 year old woman. The patient came under our observation with a complete, recent diagnosis. However, two years earlier in another clinic, a parahilar hepatic mass with partially ca lcified walls was incidentally found during an abdominal ultrasound. A n abdominal TC without contrast medium showed the mass to be hepatic h ydatid cysts. TC images after 2 years showed a growth in diameter from 7 to 12 cm. Having undergone an hysterectomy and a rectal prosthesis, technical difficulties occurred because of the aneurysm's characteris tics. The authors would like to emphasize that the rarity of the lesio n must not exclude it from the diagnostic protocol of abdominal masses : ultrasound must be accompanied by a Doppler and the TC must be made using a contrast medium. Furthermore, revascularization surgery may cr eate difficulties that cannot be previously prevented.