Published online Apr 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i16.4835
Revised: December 28, 2013
Accepted: March 5, 2014
Published online: April 28, 2014
Processing time: 192 Days and 17.7 Hours
Splenic artery aneurysm is one of the most common visceral aneurysms, and patients with this type of aneurysm often present without symptoms. However, when rupture occurs, it can be a catastrophic event. Although most of these aneurysms can be treated with percutaneous embolization, some located in uncommon parts of the splenic artery may make this approach impossible. We present a patient with an aneurysm in the proximal splenic artery, close to the celiac trunk, which was treated by laparoscopic ligation only, without resection of the aneurysm, and with long-term preservation of splenic function.
Core tip: An aneurysm in the proximal splenic artery is rare. Few cases of an aneurysm in the proximal splenic artery treated by laparoscopic techniques have been reported in the literature. We present a case of splenic artery aneurysm located in the proximal splenic artery which was treated by laparoscopic ligation with long-term preservation of splenic function. This is the first case of laparoscopic ligation of a proximal artery aneurysm with preservation of splenic function to be reported in the English literature.