Popliteal Artery Aneurysm Presenting as Acute Deep Vein Thrombosis

ABSTRACT

Popliteal artery aneurysms are rare, but they are the second commonest aneurysm in frequency after aorto-iliac aneurysms. The most commonly reported complications of popliteal artery aneurysm are arterial origin such as occlusion or distal embolization that may result in limb loss, so popliteal artery aneurysm is recognized as 'the silent killer of the leg circulation'. It rarely manifests the clinical symptoms of acute deep vein thrombosis. Thrombosis and compression of the popliteal vein may cause the symptoms of lower extremity venous insufficiency, which accounts for nearly 5% of all popliteal artery aneurysms. We report here a 40 year-old man with acute deep vein thrombosis in the lower extremity, and this was secondary to popliteal artery aneurysm. Preoperative Duplex ultrasound and CT angiography revealed a 6 cm-sized popliteal artery aneurysm and thrombosis of the popliteal vein. The aneurysm was treated with partial resection of the aneurysm with an end to end PTFE bypass graft. We feel it is important to exclude a popliteal artery aneurysm in a patient suffering with deep vein thrombosis.