Surgical treatment of big splenic artery aneurysm--case report

An aneurysm has been defined as a permanent local dilatation of the diameter of an artery by at least 50% of its normal value. A splenic artery aneurysm is most frequently a visceral artery aneurysm and clinically it is usually asymptomatic but potentially life-threatening at the same time, with the incidence of its rupturing being 2-10% and then the mortality rate ranges from 20 to 36%. A 51-year-old female patient was admitted to the Department of Vascular and Transplantation Surgery in Novi Sad having been found to have a big splenic artery aneurysm during the ultrasound examination of her abdomen after cholecystectomy. The additional diagnostic procedure--computerized tomography of the abdomen with i.v. contrast subtraction angiography--confirmed the splenic artery aneurysm to have the diameter of 5 cm and therefore the elective surgical treatment was indicated after the preoperative preparation and risk assessment. The aneurysm was exposed through Chevron incision, and the detailed surgical exploration was done after the omental bursa had been opened. The aneurysmectomy and the reconstruction of the splenic artery by the termino-terminal anastomosis were performed after the weakening of the wall had been verified. The biopsies of the liver and the aneurysmal sac were done during the surgery. The pathohistological finding confirmed the atherosclerotic etiology of the aneurysm. Since the postoperative course was normal, the patient was discharged on the eighth postoperative day.