[Vasculitis of the hepatic artery: A case of a single-organ vasculitis]

Abstract

Introduction: Vasculitis usually have a systemic involvement. Rare cases of localized vasculitis have been described, but the exclusive involvement of the hepatic artery is exceptional. We report the case of a patient who developed a vasculitis of the right and left hepatic arteries.

Case report: A 63-year-old woman presented with unexplained abdominal pain. A computed tomography of the abdomen was suggestive of vasculitis of the hepatic arteries, showing a sequence of stenosis and aneurysmal dilatations of the hepatic arteries. There were no other arterial involvement, in particular of the abdomen and the brain. No other systemic disease or infection was found. The outcome was favorable, with corticosteroids alone.

Discussion: The exclusive involvement of the hepatic artery is an exceptional form of localized vasculitis, with only one other case reported. This diagnosis could therefore be discussed, in the presence of unexplained hepatic hematoma or pain.

Keywords: Hepatic vasculitis; Localized vasculitis; Traitement; Treatment; Vascularite d’organe isolée; Vascularite hépatique.