Visceral Aneurysm

What is a Visceral Aneurysm?

Visceral aneurysma are aneurysms in the abdominal cavity, including the celiac artery, the superior mesenteric artery, the inferior mesenteric artery, the hepatic artery, the splenic artery and the renal arteries.

Causes

• Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
• Degeneration of the artery wall
• Fibromuscular dysplasia (abnormal development of the lining in the walls of arteries)
• Disease in connective tissues (such as ligaments)
• Trauma

Risk Factors

• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Family history of atherosclerosis
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Age and gender — fibromuscular dysplasia is most often seen in people ages 25 to 50 and is more commonly found in women than men

What are the Symptoms?

In some cases, visceral aneurysms may not have any symptoms. Common symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain
• Gastrointestinal bleeding

How is a Visceral Aneurysm Diagnosed?

• Angiography: A dye is inserted into arteries through a catheter and an X-ray is taken to show how blood flows through the arteries and whether any aneurysms are present.

Treatment at UVA's Heart and Vascular Center

Catheter-based embolization or stent-graft placement is generally the preferred treatment option for visceral aneurysms. Embolization is a non-surgical, minimally invasive procedure where blood flow is cut off to the area where the aneurysm and rerouted around the aneurysm.

Surgery may be necessary if the aneurysm is in a location which prevents adequate or safe repair by embolization or stent-graft placement. Generally, visceral aneurysms do not need repair unless they are larger than 2 cm.