Gastrointestinal Bleeding Due to the Rupture of Splenic Artery Caused by Pancreatic Carcinoma: A Case Requiring Repeated Transcatheter Arterial Embolization in a Short Period of Time

Abstract

In this report, we present a case of gastrointestinal bleeding due to splenic artery rupture, which required repeated transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) within a short period of time. A 75-year-old man with pancreatic carcinoma was transported to our hospital with active hematemesis and vital signs consistent with shock. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography images showed a pancreatic tumor that had caused a pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery to rupture. The pseudoaneurysm was embolized using only an N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) and lipiodol mixture. However, hematemesis with signs of shock recurred 13 h later, and angiography showed rebleeding from the origin of the splenic artery. The splenic artery was subsequently embolized using an NBCA and lipiodol mixture. Repeated TAE finally controlled the hemorrhage; however, asymptomatic splenic infarction and hepatic infarction occurred due to nontarget embolization.