Management of 28 consecutive iatrogenic femoral pseudoaneurysms with ultrasound-guided compression.

We attempted to evaluate nonsurgical methods of treating postcatheterization iatrogenic femoral pseudoaneurysms at our hospital and compared the results with those in the literature. The hospital records of 25 273 patients who underwent femoral catheterization at our institution from September 1997 to December 2002 were collected retrospectively. All complications were detected and femoral pseudoaneurysm cases were selected. Diagnostic criteria and treatment strategy were documented. All results were compared with those in the literature. Twenty-eight patients were diagnosed as having a pseudoaneurysm (0.11%). In 11 patients the pseudoaneurysms closed by themselves within 3-7 days. Ultrasound-guided compression therapy was applied to the remaining 17 and was effective in 10 of them. The last 7 patients were operated on with success. Ultrasound-guided compression is also an effective and noninvasive method of therapy for femoral pseudoaneurysms. Surgical therapy can be reserved for progressive and complicated lesions.