Case Report
Copyright ©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Mar 27, 2011; 3(3): 39-42
Published online Mar 27, 2011. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v3.i3.39
A case report of extrahepatic portal vein aneurysm with thrombosis
Ken Ishimura, Tsuyoshi Otani, Hisao Wakabayashi, Keiichi Okano, Fuminori Goda, Yasuyuki Suzuki
Ken Ishimura, Tsuyoshi Otani, Hisao Wakabayashi, Department of Surgery, Kagawakensaiseikai Hospital, 1331-1 Tahikami, Takamatsu, Kagawa, 761-8076, Japan
Keiichi Okano, Fuminori Goda, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Miki, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan
Author contributions: Ishimura K, Otani T, Wakabayashi H, Okano K, Goda F and Suzuki Y designed and performed research; Ishimura K wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Ken Ishimura, MD, Department of Surgery, Kagawakensaiseikai Hospital, 1331-1 Tahikami, Takamatsu, Kagawa, 761-8076, Japan. ishimura@kms.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-87-8681551 Fax: +81-87-8689733
Received: February 21, 2010
Revised: November 29, 2010
Accepted: December 6, 2010
Published online: March 27, 2011
Abstract

Extrahepatic portal vein aneurysm (PVA) is very rare with only 17 previously reported cases. Methods of treatment include resection, thrombectomy, and portal venous decompression. We report herein the first case of large PVA with thrombosis which has been managed without surgical treatment over a long period. A PVA was detected in a 78-year-old woman by abdominal ultrasonography. Computed tomography revealed an aneurysm of 6 cm in a diameter in the porta hepatis. Portal venography showed obstruction of the portal vein and developed collateral vessels around the aneurysm. Since the patient had no symptoms of portal hypertension, we decided to carefully manage her clinical course without surgical treatment. At present, this patient is healthy and has developed no complications over the 5 years since leaving our hospital. This case suggests that surgical treatment is not required for PVA without portal hypertension.

Keywords: Portal vein aneurysm, Thrombosis, Surgical treatment