Aim: We analyzed the data of a series of 498 consecutive patients undergoing transfemoral elective angiography. The aims of our study were (a) to determine the incidence of pseudoaneurysms post-catheterization in our centre, (b) to analyze the profile of patients examined because of this complication.
Patients and methods: Data of a total of 498 patients with a mean age of 65 +- 12 years and mean body mas index (BMI) of 28.4 +- 4.8 were analyzed. Seventy percent of patients were men (n = 347).
Sixty-nine percent of patients (n = 343) had a history of coronary heart disease; 78% (n = 389) arterial hypertension; 36% of patients (n = 178) had a history of diabetes; 65% of patients (n = 323) dyslipidemia; 15% of patients (n = 76) peripheral artery disease while 43% of patients (n = 215) had had a coronary intervention. Results: A total of 10 pseudoaneurysms (2%) were found in our group of patients.
In statistical analysis of individual characteristics (age over 65 years, BMI over 28, size and type of guidewire, sex, history of arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, dyslipidemia, peripheral arterial disease, previous cardiovascular intervention, type of procedure, technique of compression, and complicated puncture), only the female sex was significantly associated with pseudoaneurysm formation (p = 0.011) Conclusion: In our centre, the incidence of pseudoaneurysms post-catheterization was 2%, a figure consistent with literary data. The subgroup at high risk were women.