Symptomatic spontaneous celiac artery dissection treated by conservative management: serial imaging findings

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of clinical characteristics with serial imaging findings of symptomatic spontaneous celiac artery dissection treated by conservative management.

Eight consecutive, hemodynamically stable patients with symptomatic spontaneous celiac artery dissection without associated aortic dissection that received non-operative treatments were included in this study. Their clinical characteristics, treatment methods, serial imaging findings and outcomes were analyzed retrospectively.

Acute left flank pain related to splenic infarction was the most common clinical manifestation. Initial contrast-enhanced dynamic computed tomography scan showed celiac artery dissection with partial thrombosis in all eight patients and involvement of branch vessels in 7. Full anticoagulation was carried out immediately after the diagnosis in seven patients. All patients, except one with endovascular stent placement, were asymptomatic after successful conservative management and follow-up computed tomography scan showed preservation of distal perfusion with ongoing regression of false lumen in five patients. After a mean follow-up of 16 months, there was no mortality or morbidity related to the dissection.

Serial imaging findings showed that conservative management of celiac artery dissection can be performed successfully in selective patients with stable hemodynamics.