Ankle sprains represent a frequent reason for general or emergency medicine consultations. The most common complications are ligament lesions, bone avulsions, and hemarthroses. The pseudoaneurysm of the pedal artery is an often overlooked and rare complication. The case presented in this article is that of a 32-year-old man treated for a sprained ankle 3 weeks before. He received conservative treatment because no fractures were detected during the X-ray examination. Two weeks later, he presented with a pulsatile mass in front of the anterior talofibular ligament, associated with a small wound.
What is already known about the topic?
A false aneurysm, also known as a pseudoaneurysm, is a hematoma formed as a result of a leak in the wall of the arteries and contained in by surrounding tissue.
True aneurysm involves all three layers of the blood vessel wall. Dorsalis pedis pseudoaneurysms are rare and can result from numerous iatrogenic influences, including, but not limited to, a direct and/or penetrating trauma, orthopedic procedures, for instance after Lisfranc surgery, an ankle arthroscopy, or a sport injury (1,2)..
What does this article teach for us?
This article illustrates a rare complication of a frequent trauma. Signs and symptoms are presented. The imaging exploration strategy and appropriate treatments are discussed.
Key Words
Pedal artery pseudoaneurysm, ankle sprain, peripheral arteries