Spontaneous cystic artery rupture: a rare cause of haemoperitoneum.

We report the case of a 74-year-old man who presented an acute haemoperitoneum further to the rupture of the cystic artery. The bleeding was successfully controlled using embolization. This procedure was complicated by ischaemic necrosis and perforation of the gall-bladder requiring laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Spontaneous rupture of intra-abdominal arteries is a rare event. This usually occurs in abnormal arteries, presenting pseudo-aneurysm or, weakened by arterial hypertension, diabetes or corticotherapy. In the case of a cystic artery rupture, embolization can be safely done as long as the arterial anastomotic network with hepatic parenchyma is sufficient to supply the gall-bladder.