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Postarteriographic femoral pseudoaneurysms: Treatment with ultrasound-guided compression

  • Original Articles
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Annals of Vascular Surgery

Abstract

Pseudoaneurysms following femoral arterial catheterization are increasingly common and are related to factors such as catheter size, periprocedural anticoagulation, hypertension, and improper technique. Ultrasound-guided compression as a noninvasive technique for repair of these lesions was prospectively evaluated in 16 patients whose mean age was 61 years. Nine patients were on anticoagulants and six had hypertension. All patients presented with an enlarging groin hematoma, a pulsatile mass, and/or a bruit following femoral catheterization. Seventeen femoral artery pseudoaneurysms, including one with an associated arteriovenous fistula, were detected using color-flow Doppler imaging. Three pseudoaneurysms thrombosed spontaneously. The remaining 14 were managed with compressive therapy lasting from 20 to 100 minutes. No complications were encountered during the compressions and 10 false aneurysms (71%) responded completely (mean time to thrombosis of 38 minutes). Two lesions responded partially to compression and there were two failures, the latter associated with excessive anticoagulation in one patient and a well-established pseudoaneurysm in the second patient. Only one pseudoaneurysm (6%) in the series required surgical correction. Ultrasound-guided compression of acute pseudoaneurysms in the groin is a safe, inexpensive, and effective method of treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Victoria Hospital, 375 South St., N6A 4G5, London, Ontario, Canada

    Douglas J. Moote MD, FRCP(C), Mark D. Hilborn MD, James A. Elliott MD, FRCP(C) & A. Craig MacDonald MD, FRCP(C)

  2. Department of Vascular Surgery, Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada

    Kenneth A. Harris MD, FRCS(C)

  3. Department of Cardiology, Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada

    J. Brendan Foley MD, MRCP(UK)

Authors
  1. Douglas J. Moote MD, FRCP(C)
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  2. Mark D. Hilborn MD
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  3. Kenneth A. Harris MD, FRCS(C)
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  4. James A. Elliott MD, FRCP(C)
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  5. A. Craig MacDonald MD, FRCP(C)
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  6. J. Brendan Foley MD, MRCP(UK)
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Additional information

We thank Brenda Scott, Tammy Kovacs, Lisa Ungar, and Alison Grzywnowicz in the ultrasound department at Victoria Hospital for the time and enthusiasm they devoted to this project.

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Moote, D.J., Hilborn, M.D., Harris, K.A. et al. Postarteriographic femoral pseudoaneurysms: Treatment with ultrasound-guided compression. Annals of Vascular Surgery 8, 325–331 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02132992

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02132992

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