Background: Splenic artery aneurysm(s) (SAA) are rare. But the incidence and significance of SAA among patients with portal hypertension (PHTN), especially among those who undergo orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), have not been clearly delineated.
Study design: An 11-year (February 1987 to June 1998) retrospective review of our experience with treated SAA was performed. Patient characteristics, risk factors, clinical presentation, surgical management, aneurysm characteristics, and patient outcomes were assessed. Patients were separated according to a history of PHTN for analysis. Patients were also subdivided into ruptured versus elective presentations.
Results: Thirty-four patients (22 in the PHTN group) were treated for SAA during the study period. Sixty-two percent (21 of 34) were women; the average age was 50.6 years. In patients without a history of PHTN (n = 12), essential hypertension was a significant risk factor (p < 0.001) for development of SAA. All patients underwent surgical treatment for SAA: resection with splenectomy (n = 23), ligation with splenectomy (n = 5), ligation of SAA only (n = 4), and vascular reconstruction (n = 2). The average size of all treated SAA was 4.8 +/- 2.6 cm, ranging from 1.5 to 12cm. Operative mortality after SAA rupture (n = 15) was 40%, compared with zero mortality for elective SAA repair (n = 19, p < 0.005). Rupture of SAA was associated with a higher mortality in patients with PHTN compared with patients without such history (56% versus 17%, respectively). After a mean followup period of 46 months, survival after rupture was 60% in contrast to 84% after elective repair. The majority of our patients with a history of PHTN (20 of 22) has undergone OLT, representing 0.46% of all OLT recipients (n = 4,374) during the study period. In four patients, SAA were repaired concurrently during transplantation. Of the 7 patients presented with rupture of SAA after OLT, 6 patients presented within 3 to 16 days postoperatively, with a median of 6 days and an overall mortality of 57%.
Conclusions: Essential hypertension and PHTN appear to be significant risk factors for development of SAA. Rupture of SAA is associated with a significant mortality, highest among patients with PHTN. Elective repair remains a safe and effective method of treatment. The significance of SAA is recognized among patients undergoing liver transplantation. A decision should be made to screen and electively treat SAA found in liver transplant patients, especially if the aneurysm is larger than 1.5 cm. Awareness of the increased rupture risk is crucial in management during the immediate posttransplant period.