SPLANCHNIC ARTERY ANEURYSMS

From 1970 to October 1991, 26 patients affected by splanchnic artery a neurysms were observed and treated at the Department of General and Ca rdiovascular Surgery, University of Milan, Italy. Three splanchnic art ery aneurysms were operated on in emergency. Visceral artery aneurysms are often completely silent and are generally detected during diagnos tic procedures performed in order to clarify some diagnostic questions . When symptomatic they present a characteristic clinical picture of t he involved vascular district. Two patients affected by aneurysmal dis ease of the proper hepatic artery died after operation. All the other splanchnic aneurysms underwent a successful surgical procedure. This s tudy is aimed at analyzing some characteristic clinical pictures, diag nostic methods, therapeutic procedures and postoperative results.