Thrombosis of a portal vein aneurysm: a case report with literature review

Objectives: Portal vein aneurysm is an unusual vascular dilatation of the portal vein. The etiology, diagnosis and management are ill-defined.

Methods: A case of a portal vein aneurysm complicated with complete thrombosis is presented with a literature review providing an overview of the etiology, clinical presentation and management.

Results: Portal venous aneurysms represent approximately 3% of all venous aneurysms with a reported prevalence of 0.06%. The reported incidence is on the rise with increasing use of modern imaging techniques in clinical practice. Usually, portal vein aneurysms are incidental findings and patients are asymptomatic. They can be congenital or acquired and portal hypertension represents the most frequent cause of the acquired version. Various complications such as biliary tract compression, portal vein thrombosis, and rupture can occur. Treatment options are conservative management or surgery. Surgical treatment is currently reserved for symptomatic patients with severe abdominal pain, symptoms of pressure effect or with expanding aneurysms, and/or complications such as thrombosis or rupture.

Conclusion: Conservative management seems the best option in the majority of patients. A multidisciplinary approach discussing the best option on a case-by-case base in light of their individual underlying risk and symptoms is advised.