Ultrasound Guided Non Surgical Closure of Post Angiographic Femoral Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF) and Pseudoaneurysm (PSA)

Local complications of femoral arterial catheterization like hematomas, pseudoaneurysm (PSA) and arteriovenous fistula (AVF) are increasing in incidence due to the large number of patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic angiographic procedures through this route [1 3] (see figure 1). A PSA refers to a confined collection of thrombus and blood associated with tear of one or more layers of an arterial wall [4]. An iatrogenic AVF occurs when an arterial puncture inadvertently extends to involve an adjacent vein leading to a communication between the two. Color flow Doppler ultrasound is the imaging modality of choice for the diagnosis and assessment of a PSA, with a high sensitivity and specificity [5].