Treatment:
All our patients were managed with splenic artery embolization.
Embolization in the first case was with coils. However, embolization in
the second and third cases were done with Amplatzer plug and
500–700-micron PVA particles respectively. Our treatment methods were
consistent with the modalities at other institutions. Many institutions
have considered splenic artery coil embolization as the primary
treatment for SASS (15,17). Patients with SASS often have a thick
splenic artery with a diameter that is often thicker than 5.0 mm or 1.5
times that of the hepatic artery (14). Therefore, fast arterial flow can
push the coil into the branch of splenic artery leading to ischemic
necrosis of the spleen and possibly septicemia (10). Furthermore, the
incidence of infection after coil embolization was reported to be as
high as 50 % (15).