Splenic Artery Embolization and Indications

Abstract:
Transcatheter arterial embolization by interventional radiologist has a major role in some spleen related diseases.
Spleen is the most commonly injured visceral organ in blunt abdominal trauma in both adults and children and angiography with transcatheter splenic artery embolization, an alternative nonoperative treatment for splenic injuries, has increased splenic salvage rates to as high as 97%. Thrombocytopenia, and hypersplenism with portal hypertension are the other major causes of splenic embolization.
Other less frequently cases for splenic embolization are hereditary spherocytosis, thalassemia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, splenic hemangioma, and liver cancer
Splenic artery aneurysms ,splenic artery steal syndrome , improving liver perfusion in liver transplant recipients, and to administer targeted treatment to areas of neoplastic disease in the splenic parenchyma are the other causes.
The limitations exist mainly in the difficulties in selecting the arteries to embolize and in evaluating the embolized volume. Major complications of splenic embolization include pulmonary complications, severe infection, damages of renal and liver function, and portal vein thrombosis.
Keywords: splenic artery embolization, interventional radiologist, blunt splenic trauma; portal hypertension, hypersplenism