Rupture of Cystic Artery Pseudoaneurysm: a Rare Complication of Acute Cholecystitis

Pseudoaneurysm (PA) of the cystic artery is rare. Most of the reported cases are iatrogenic and develop secondary to liver biopsy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, ERCP, and liver transplant. Other reported causes include trauma, malignancy, arteriovenous malformations, and inflammation in the hepatobiliary and pancreatic system. Cystic artery psuedoaneurysm is usually asymptomatic but may also present as vague abdominal pain, intra-abdominal mass, and hemobilia. In the event of rupture, it may present as a catastrophic intra-peritoneal bleeding with hemorrhagic shock. Doppler ultrasound and contrast-enhanced CT scan are useful tools for the diagnosis of this condition. However, selective visceral angiography is confirmatory and offers the opportunity for therapeutic embolization. We report a case which presented with upper right quadrant abdominal pain, vomiting, and hypotension. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed subhepatic hematoma and pericholecystic fluid collection along with acute calculus cholecystitis and sludge in the bile duct. Subsequent contrast-enhanced CT and CT angiography confirmed the presence of ruptured cystic artery psuedoaneurysm with subhepatic hematoma. The patient after resuscitation underwent selective visceral angiography and successful coil embolization of the cystic artery pseudoaneurysm. During the same admission, ERCP and biliary stenting were also performed followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This case reports a rare entity which was successfully treated using a multimodality strategy.