Endovascular treatment of refractory iatrogenic femoral artery pseudoaneurysm using Amplatzer vascular plugs following unsuccessful retrograde Angio-Seal deployment

Lower extremity pseudoaneurysms and their interventional radiological management: a pictorial review

Lower extremity pseudoaneurysms (PsAs) are mostly developed after traumatic or iatrogenic injury to the arteries. Unless treated, they can be complicated by adjacent mass effects, distal embolism, secondary infection, and rupture. Imaging helps in the diagnosis and planning of therapeutic intervention. Ultrasonography (USG) is often diagnostic, while CT angiography aids in vascular mapping required for intervention. Image-guided therapy offers to manage these pseudoaneurysms in a minimally invasive approach, obviating the need for surgery. A smaller, superficial, and narrow-necked PsA can easily be managed with local USG-guided compression or thrombin injection. When the percutaneous approach is not a feasible option, PsA from expendable arteries can also be managed with coiling or glue injection. Wide-necked PsA from an unexpendable artery necessitates stent graft placement, although coiling of the neck may be a viable and cheaper alternative for a long- and narrow-necked PsA. Presently, vascular closure devices are also used to seal a small arterial rent through a direct percutaneous approach. This pictorial review entails various techniques to deal with lower extremity pseudoaneurysms. An idea about the various intervention radiological approaches will help in choosing appropriate methods to tackle lower extremity pseudoaneurysms.

Iatrogenic Deep Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysm Causing Quadriceps Paralysis: An Indication for Open Surgery in an Endovascular Era

Contemporary management of iatrogenic pseudoaneurysms is mostly performed using non-surgical techniques. Herein, we present a rare case of deep femoral artery (DFA) pseudoaneurysm with compression neuropathy, which required open repair. A 67-year-old female patient presented with increasing pain in the right groin, sensory neuropathy of the anteromedial thigh and upper leg, and quadriceps paralysis 4 days after coronary angiography via femoral puncture. Computed tomography angiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm of the DFA. The disabling compressive neuropathy warranted urgent open decompression rather than thrombin injection or endovascular therapy. Timely open evacuation of the hematoma, release of compression on the femoral nerve, and postoperative physiotherapy resulted in complete recovery of quadriceps power. The patient was pain free within 12 weeks and able to ambulate independently. This case report highlights the role of prompt open surgery for pseudoaneurysms with compression neuropathy.

Successful Percutaneous Transcatheter Closure of a Common Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysm With Use of MicroVascular Plug Despite Continued Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis

Common femoral artery pseudoaneurysm is a known complication of percutaneous vascular access. Treatment options include surgical repair of the pseudoaneurysm or endovascular methods such as ultrasound-guided compression and direct thrombin injection into the pseudoaneurysm sac. Treatment of pseudoaneurysm is more challenging when a patient is undergoing concurrent catheter-directed or systemic thrombolytic therapy. This is a case report of endovascular treatment of an iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm of common femoral artery in a patient receiving concurrent catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy. This was performed successfully by precise deployment of a MicroVascular Plug into the pseudoaneurysm neck with immediate closure of pseudoaneurysm. Midterm follow-up confirmed sustained exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm sac with continued patency of the treated femoral artery.