2021 Volume 36 Issue 6 Pages 360-365
A 71-year-old man with epigastric pain was diagnosed with a pancreatic arteriovenous malformation (AVM) concomitant with acute pancreatitis and was brought to radiology for transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Computed tomography scan revealed abnormally dilated vessels in the pancreatic body and tail and a pseudocyst surrounding the tail of the pancreas. Angiography revealed an AVM across the entire pancreas, and TAE was contraindicated. Acute pancreatitis was treated non-operatively, and a pancreatic drain inserted due to stenosis of the main pancreatic duct. However, the patient remained refractory to this course of treatment for 6-months and was referred for surgical intervention. Distal pancreatectomy was performed, and the postoperative course was uneventful. No recurrence has occurred 4 years postoperatively. Surgery may be an effective therapeutic strategy for patients with pancreatic AVMs concomitant with acute pancreatitis.
