Extrahepatic portal vein aneurysm: report of a case treated by thrombectomy and aneurysmorrhaphy.

Extrahepatic portal vein aneurysm is a rare condition with only 15 cases before ours being reported in the English literature. The etiology is thought to be congenital, secondary to portal hypertension or associated with abnormal weakness of the vein wall. It often presents in conjunction with major gastrointestinal bleeding, but may occur with minimal or no symptoms. Diagnosis is made with color duplex ultrasound, computed tomographic scan, venous phase mesenteric angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, or splenoportography. Thrombosis, rupture, and pressure effects are the major complications of portal vein aneurysm. Shunting procedures are recommended in cases with portal hypertension secondary to liver disease. We report the first case treated by thrombectomy and aneurysmorrhaphy with a successful 10 year follow-up. This procedure should be considered to preserve portal vein flow when portal hypertension is absent or is secondary to the aneurysm itself.