Contrast-Enhanced Sonographic Follow-up After Stenting of Visceral Artery Aneurysms

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Interventional Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Visceral artery aneurysms pose a significant risk, necessitating effective treatment and monitoring strategies.
• Endovascular exclusion is a minimally invasive approach for managing these aneurysms.
• Accurate post-procedural surveillance is crucial for detecting complications like endoleaks.

Observation:

• Two patients with visceral artery aneurysms underwent endovascular exclusion: one common hepatic artery aneurysm with a multilayer stent and one celiac trunk aneurysm with a covered stent.
• Regular follow-up included computed tomographic angiography (CTA), echo color Doppler, and contrast-enhanced sonography (CES).
• Both CTA and CES successfully identified endoleaks and feeding vessels in both cases.

Findings:

• Contrast-enhanced sonography demonstrated comparable accuracy to computed tomographic angiography in detecting endoleaks after endovascular visceral artery aneurysm exclusion.
• Diameter measurements of the aneurysm sacs were consistent between CTA and CES.
• The study highlights the potential of CES as a reliable imaging modality for post-intervention surveillance.

Implications:

• Contrast-enhanced sonography may offer a valuable, potentially more accessible, alternative to CTA for monitoring endovascularly treated visceral artery aneurysms.
• This finding could lead to more streamlined and cost-effective follow-up protocols.
• Further research with larger cohorts is warranted to confirm the utility of CES in this context.