Ultrasound-guided Thrombin Injection in a Lower Extremity Pseudoaneurysm

Purpose: A pseudoaneurysm has always been troublesome after cardiac angiography or trauma. Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection is a simple procedure without scarring and pain for a pseudoaneurysm. This paper describes the authors’ experiences of thrombin injection in patients with a pseudoaneurysm in the lower extremity. Methods: From January 2012 to March 2017, 11 patients with a pseudoaneurysm of the leg were included this study. Patients after coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary inter-vention, coiling of a cerebral aneurysm, extracorporeal circulation, and knee ligament sur-gery were eligible. Results: The mean age of the patients was 60.9 years. Eight patients developed a pseudoaneurysm in relation to cardiac catheterization and 8 patients had a pseudoaneurysm in the superficial femoral artery. Ultrasonography was used for diagnostic purposes in 10 patients. The mean size of the pseudoaneurysm was 2.5 cm and the mean amount of thrombin was 1980 u. Thromboembolism, including occlusion of the peripheral artery after the procedure, did not occur and there was no recurrence of the pseudoaneurysm after the procedure. The average number of hospital days from the procedure was 2.5 days. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection is a good option for treating a pseudoaneurysm and ultrasonography is essential for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up study of pseudoaneurysm.