CASE REPORT   

Chirurgia 2005 April;18(2):99-102

Copyright © 2005 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Treatment of a pseudoaneurysm of profunda femoris artery

Rispoli P., Scovazzi P., Conforti M., Maselli M., Massucco S., Moniaci D., Varetto G., Zan S., Monti A.

Pseudoaneurysms can be generated by infections, vasculitis, traumas, surgical operations, interventional diagnostic or therapeutic procedures in which an arterial lesion occur. Inguinal region is the most frequent site of origin. We present a case of a pseudoaneurysm of a branch of profunda femoris artery after open endarterectomy. A 62-year-old man, submitted to open thromboendoarterectomy (TEA) of superficial femoral artery, since 2nd postoperative day complained pain, parestesias, tension of thigh lateral muscles and hypostenia at flexo-extension of the left leg; postoperative duplex scanner did not show any sign of stenosis, hematomas or thrombosis. CT found a pseudoaneurysm of a profunda femoris artery branch. Pseudoaneurysms of profunda femoris artery branches are unusual, specially after open thromboendarterectomies, and it is difficult to find their cause. These lesions can be treated with percutaneous, endovascular or open surgery approach. In this case we decided for percutaneous endovascular embolization during angiography in consideration of the place of the pseudoaneurysm and of the exility of the artery damaged. Everytime that pain, neurologic and muscular symptoms, hard to explain, appear after vascular surgical procedures, it may be important to hypotize the presence of a pseudoaneurysm compressing close structures, even in regions apparently unusual and not strictly joined to the procedure executed.