A useful modality of CT angiography image to identify medical emergency in isolated celiac artery dissection type I: A case report with longest follow-up and literature review

Abstract

Symptomatic isolated celiac artery (CA) dissection (SICAD) is an extremely rare form of visceral artery dissection. It is diagnosed by a contrast abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showing a CA dissection (CAD). There are 4 types of CAD: Type I-IV. Type I has entry and re-entry and no true luminal narrowing. All types other than type I have entry and re-entry. They have true lumen compression and true lumen constriction due to false lumen. We report a case with the longest follow-up, 120 months after symptom onset, without evidence of CAD exacerbation. A 56-year-old man presented with a sudden onset of abdominal and back pain. He had a past medical history of left pneumothorax, pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 23, and hypertension on medication since the age of 46. On physical examination, he had mild muscle rebound tenderness in the epigastric region. The curved multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) of the urgent 3-dimensional contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed an isolated celiac artery dissection type I. Given the risk of emergency surgery for total occlusion of the CA, conservative management with analgesics during hospitalization resolved the abdominal pain, and the patient was discharged 3 days later. Subsequently, a total of 5 CTAs were performed over 120 months, but no worsening of CA arterial dissection and CA occlusion findings were observed. In type I SICAD cases, arterial dissection, and CA occlusion may progress, in which case emergency stenting or endovascular treatment may be indicated, and close follow-up such as CTA is required.