Ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the external iliac artery in an advanced cervical cancer patient treated by endovascular covered stent placement

The formation of pseudoaneurysms in patients with gynecologic malignancies is rare. We describe a patient with locally advanced cervical cancer who had life-threatening rectal bleeding due to a ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the right external iliac artery, which was successfully treated by emergent endovascular covered stent placement. This 56-year-old woman had received concurrent chemoradiation, salvage hysterectomy and systemic chemotherapy for advanced cervical cancer. About 25 months after her diagnosis of cervical cancer, she suffered from acute life-threatening rectal bleeding. Angiography revealed active extravasation from a pseudoaneurysm of the right external iliac artery. A covered stent was placed across the pseudoaneurysm via an endovascular approach to stop the bleeding. The patient recovered well without any sequelae. We believe that this technique might also be useful in other irradiated gynecologic cancer patients, especially when direct surgical repair is difficult to perform due to pelvic irradiation or tumor recurrence. ? 2008 Elsevier & Formosan Medical Association.