Impact of Noninvasive Conservative Medical Treatment for Symptomatic Isolated Celiac Artery Dissection.

Abstract

There is no definite consensus regarding the management of symptomatic isolated celiac artery dissection (ICAD), and the effect of conservative medical treatment has never been evaluated. We enrolled 13 consecutive symptomatic ICAD patients without signs of arterial rupture between 2006 and 2015. All patients received noninvasive conservative medical treatment. The epidemiology, radiological findings and prognostic effect of conservative medical treatment on outcomes were retrospectively assessed. ICAD usually developed in middle-aged men around 50 years old who had a history of smoking. The patients typically presented with acute continuous epigastric pain at rest and with abdominal tenderness on physical examination. On enhanced computed tomography at presentation, the false lumen was found to be double-barreled in 2 patients (15.4%), partially thrombosed in 1 (7.7%), and completely thrombosed in 10 (76.9%). Dissection of associated branches was found in the left gastric artery in 1 patient (7.7%), common hepatic artery in 5 (38.5%), and splenic artery in 7 patients (53.8%). Malperfusion was not found in the stomach or liver but was found in the spleen in 4 patients (30.8%). During a median follow-up period of 376 (165-602) days, all patients were alive without any antiplatelet, anticoagulant, endovascular or surgical treatment. Symptomatic ICAD without arterial rupture can be safely treated with conservative medical therapy over the short term. (Circ J 2016; 80: 1445-1451).