Unruptured cystic artery pseudoaneurysm accompanied by Mirizzi syndrome: a report of a case

Pseudoaneurysm of the cystic artery is a rare complication of cholecystitis. 34 cases have been reported from 1976 to 2012, searched on MEDLINE and most of the cases have presented with gastrointestinal bleeding. We report the third case of an unruptured pseudoaneurysm of the cystic artery associated with calculous cholecystitis. An 85-year-old female presented to the emergency unit with epigastric pain and jaundice. Laboratory data and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed calculous cholecystitis and Mirizzi syndrome accompanied by a pseudoaneurysm in the gallbladder. Color Doppler ultrasonography (US) clearly demonstrated the pulsatile pseudoaneurysm. After biliary drainage and antimicrobial therapy, selective hepatic angiography with the aim of providing transcatheter arterial embolization was performed but the pseudoaneurysm had already thrombosed spontaneously. Open cholecystectomy was successfully carried out. Histological specimens demonstrated the pseudoaneurysm with organized thrombus in the epithelial wall of the gallbladder thickened with severe fibrosis. It is suggested that cholecystitis with unusual symptoms such as gastrointestinal bleeding requires immediate enhanced CT and US with Doppler imaging in order not to overlook a rare but life-threatening pseudoaneurysm.