A 60-Year-Old Man with an Incidental Finding of an Asymptomatic Aneurysm of the Right Gastroepiploic Artery Managed by Laparoscopic Resection

BACKGROUND The right and left gastroepiploic arteries supply the stomach and greater omentum. The right gastroepiploic artery originates from the gastroduodenal artery and runs along the greater curvature of the stomach. Aneurysms of the gastroepiploic arteries are rare; however, despite their low incidence, their rupture is associated with a mortality rate of up to 70%. Management options for gastroepiploic artery aneurysms include open surgery, endovascular techniques, and laparoscopic procedures. This report presents the case of a 60-year-old man with an incidentally discovered, asymptomatic aneurysm of the right gastroepiploic artery, managed successfully by laparoscopic resection. CASE REPORT A 60-year-old man was incidentally diagnosed with a right gastroepiploic artery aneurysm during a computed tomography scan. The patient was asymptomatic, reporting no abdominal pain or other clinical signs. He had no history of gastrointestinal bleeding, either from the upper or lower tract. The patient was admitted to the Department of General and Transplant Surgery. Laparoscopic resection of the aneurysm was proposed and performed as definitive treatment. The operative and postoperative courses were uneventful. Histopathological examination did not reveal any lesions suggestive of genetic or connective tissue disorders. CONCLUSIONS This case describes a rare presentation of an asymptomatic aneurysm of the right gastroepiploic artery, which was successfully managed with laparoscopic resection. Laparoscopic management may offer a safe and effective alternative for treating asymptomatic, non-ruptured gastroepiploic artery aneurysms. Compared with noninvasive methods, laparoscopy provides a minimally invasive yet definitive approach and can be particularly beneficial in patients with tortuous vasculature, obesity, or multiple comorbidities.