A 45-year-old woman who smokes is found to have a splenic artery aneurysm. It was most likely caused by:
Atherosclerosis
Trauma
Medial dysplasia
Pancreatitis
Splenic artery aneurysms in women are almost always caused by medial dysplasia of the artery. It may be the cause of rupture in pregnancy and can be life-threatening if not treated promptly by laparotomy. Aneurysms may be caused by atherosclerosis, trauma, and pancreatitis (when complicated by pseudocyst formation). Portal hypertension is not a cause of aneurysm.
Miscellaneous