A 47-year-old male, nonsmoker with no significant medical history initially presented with sudden onset right-sided chest pain, fever, and shortness of breath. After a hemorrhagic pleural tap and chest x-ray demonstrating large retro cardiac soft tissue density, gross right pleural effusion, and right lower lobe lung collapse the patient was referred to our center with a working diagnosis of thoracic malignancy and large lung carcinoma with hemorrhagic pleural effusion.\nThe patient was admitted to our center for further workup. Immediately after, the patient experienced severe respiratory distress; oxygen saturation (SpO2) was 74% on two liters of oxygen. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) with pulse: 102 beats per minute and regular, blood pressure: 95/79 mm Hg, respiratory rate: 22/minute, temperature: 97°F, and SpO2: 100% on high-flow oxygen. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was 15/15, and on examination of the chest, there was decreased air entry on the right side. A right-sided chest drain was placed; 1300 ml of hemorrhagic fluid was drained by the end of the day. Total leukocyte count (TLC) then was 21710/mm^3. A blood and sputum culture was obtained. The sputum sample demonstrated Klebsiella pneumonia, which was managed accordingly, normalizing the counts on the days to come. Whole blood was transfused during the ICU stay as required. After three days the patient was shifted to the general ward with the drain holding 50 ml of blood and stable vital signs.\nCECT chest performed on the fifth day of admission demonstrated a large lesion involving the subcarinal region with intensely enhancing focus adjacent to right bronchus intermedius likely pseudoaneurysm with associated hematoma, collapse of basal right-lower lobe, and collection in the right pleural space (Figure ). The plan for the trucut biopsy of the lung was deferred, and a bronchial angiogram with embolization for bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm was planned. The right common femoral artery was accessed with a 5 French gauge (Fr) vascular sheath, a diagnostic angiographic catheter (Shepherd catheter 5 Fr, Cook Medical, USA) aided in cannulating the right bronchial artery. A selective angiogram revealed a pseudoaneurysm with patent distal flow (Figure ). After the introduction of the 2.1 Fr microcatheter (Artec microcatheter, Japan) the distal normal arterial lumen was reached and coiled with a 2 mm x 2 mm pushable coil (Cook Medical, USA). Similarly, a 2 mm x 2 mm pushable coil was used to trap the front door/proximal part of the right bronchial artery. Post coil embolization, angiogram after 15 minutes showed reduced flow to the sac; however, complete thrombosis was not seen (Figure ). Another permanent embolizing agent Glue mixed with lipiodol (1:7 ratio) was used to achieve complete embolization endpoint. The final angiogram revealed complete thrombosis of the pseudoaneurysm sac and the right bronchial artery (Figure ). No immediate complications were noted. Hemostasis was achieved at the groin by manual compression. After a few days, the chest tube was removed due to a minimal drain.\nFollow-up CT angiography showed coils in the subcarinal region without obvious abnormal enhancement suggestive of adequate embolization and a slight decrease in the size of hematoma at the subcarinal region. The patient was hemodynamically stable and symptomatically better, thus was discharged after one week of hospital stay. The patient was re-evaluated after three weeks by a CECT chest, which showed a significant interval decrease in the lesion at the subcarinal region, subsegmental collapse of a basal segment of the right lower lung, and a significant decrease in the pleural collection (Figure ).
A 67-year-old Caucasian man was admitted with diffuse abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and 4 kg weight loss within a couple of weeks. He had a history of alcohol abuse but further medical history was negative. There was no significant abdominal tenderness, no abdominal palpable mass or flank-knocking tenderness. Laboratory studies showed mild anemia with a hemoglobin level of 10.0 g/dL. An abdominal ultrasound (US) scan showed a partially inverted flow in the portal vein with a small cirrhotic liver, ascites, and a small spleen. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a large pseudoaneurysm between the SMA and coeliac trunk with a diameter of 77 × 53 × 59 mm. Just below this pseudoaneurysm lay the pancreas with calcifications due to chronic pancreatitis. CT angiography revealed an arterioportal fistula between the pseudoaneurysm and portal vein. Due to this pseudoaneurysm, there was compression of the superior mesenteric vein. Ascites around the liver and spleen were seen, probably due to portal hypertension. There was an increase of the pseudoaneurysm diameter compared to the abdominal CT scan made 5 days earlier, with a maximal diameter of 81 mm (Fig. ). Digital angiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm arising from the proximal superior mesenteric artery with fistulization to the portal vein. The pseudoaneurysm was filled via a large defect in the top of the superior mesenteric artery (Fig. ).\nFrom a technical point of view, covered stenting of the SMA was preferred over embolization of the pseudoaneurysm. A 6 French LIMA sheath was placed in the superior mesenteric artery using a femoral approach. Next, a balloon-expandable covered stent (Bentley Begraft® diameter 8 mm, length 37 mm; Bentley, Hechingen, Germany) was deployed in the SMA. Control angiography showed refilling of the pseudoaneurysm via the common hepatic artery (CHA) through the right gastric and gastroduodenal arteries (Fig. ). Since there was no filling of the CHA from the coeliac trunk, it is probable that the CHA originated from the SMA as a normal variant and was separated from its origin, possibly due to the pancreatitis (Fig. ). After catheterization of the CHA via the left and then the right gastric artery, selective embolization was performed with a 2.7 Fr Progreat® microcatheter (Terumo Medical Corp., Somerset, NY, USA) using multiple Hilal microcoils (3, 4, and 5 mm wide and 3 and 6 cm long; Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN, USA), covering the origin of the GDA (Fig. ). The residual perfusion of the liver is only supplied by the right gastric artery from the left gastric artery.\nPostoperatively, the patient was given clopidogrel therapy for 6 weeks and lifelong acetylsalicylic acid.\nHe was discharged on the eighth postoperative day. Follow-up after 6 months revealed no recurrent abdominal symptoms. The pseudoaneurysm was no longer detectable on control CT angiography (Fig. ).