Digirad is proud to announce that sonographer Adam E. Jackson, RDCS, RVT’s recent reports on splenic artery aneurysms and spontaneous hepatic artery dissection were published in the December 2016 issue of the Journal of Vascular Ultrasound. The rarity of both cases, coupled with the use of ultrasound versus the typical CT, MRA or endoscopic modality, made his findings even more notable.
Case I – Splenic Artery Aneurysm
Case I was a young, healthy female, age 38, who was diagnosed with multiple splenic artery aneurysms. A splenic artery aneurysm is a dilation in the splenic artery, the blood vessel responsible for supplying the spleen with oxygenated blood.
Ultrasound is not a traditional modality in diagnosing multiple splenic artery aneurysms because it has limited spatial resolution and may be difficult in cases of obesity, bowel shadowing and atherosclerosis. The patient was an ideal candidate for the procedure, and Jackson was able to manage some of the other challenges by imaging her on her side instead of transversely through the abdomen. This allowed for a better view of the spleen. With the help of color flow technology, four aneurysms were found in the same vessel, which is extremely rare.
Case II – Hepatic Artery Dissection
Case II was a healthy, 54-year-old, male with hepatic artery dissection, a separation of the layers of the artery wall. It is an uncommon clinical event with very few reported cases in medical literature. This patient fit the demographics of the few reported cases but was unique in and of itself. Every other case study was diagnosed via CT. An initial ultrasound showed evidence of a “string sign” and Jackson was able to reproduce the same results to confirm the diagnosis. Ultimately the case demonstrates a very rare CHA variant that is present in only 1.3% of people and with a dissection in the CHA that has an incidence rate of less than 0.25%.
