A rare case of gastric varices and splenic artery aneurysm secondary to splenic arteriovenous fistula

A 33-year-old male with no past medical history presented with a few months of fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance and was found to have iron-deficiency anemia. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a cluster of isolated gastric fundal varices with high-risk stigmata. Serologic workup for cirrhosis was negative, and a FibroScan measured liver stiffness at 4.2 kilopascals. Computed tomography (CT) of his abdomen and pelvis showed non-cirrhotic portal hypertension, as well as the presence of a splenic arteriovenous (AV) fistula and splenic artery aneurysm (SAA). Resection of the fistula, SAA, and spleen completely resolved the gastric varices and anemia.

911 Delayed Presentation of a Re-Bleed from A Traumatic Splenic Artery Rupture Following Endovascular Management in A Patient with Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome

Endovascular management of splenic blunt trauma is widely accepted as a safe and effective alternative to open surgery in carefully selected patients. Following a radiologically successful intervention, patients are normally discharged with no follow up after 48-72 hours of haemodynamic stability and satisfactory serial haemoglobin levels. We present a case of a fit and well 24-year-old male patient who presented with abdominal pain, syncope and haemodynamic instability 14 days post successful splenic artery coil-embolization for splenic artery aneurysm rupture secondary to blunt trauma. After initial resuscitation, computed tomography angiography was performed and demonstrated active bleeding from the splenic artery aneurysm which was deemed likely to be a consequence of retrograde filling. The patient underwent successful emergency re-embolization using a combination of embolization coils and Onyx via a trans-splenic approach to eliminate retrograde flow. On further review of the imaging, it was incidentally noted there was evidence suggesting a diagnosis of median arcuate ligament syndrome, which may have predisposed the patient to splanchnic artery aneurysm formation. This case report highlights a potential limitation of endovascular management compared to open surgery and summarises the literature surrounding splenic artery anatomical variations and the implications of median arcuate ligament syndrome. A re-bleed following embolization is a hostile prospect with potentially catastrophic outcomes for patients if not recognised quickly. The authors propose that interval re-imaging should be considered following endovascular management of blunt splenic trauma.