Successful percutaneous endovascular treatment of a ruptured popliteal artery aneurysm

Abstract

A rupture of the popliteal artery is a rare but dangerous complication of aneurysmal disease. It accounts for 4% of all popliteal artery aneurysms encountered and threatens the loss of the extremity and, infrequently, is also life-threatening. When this clinical entity is confronted, a prompt operative intervention is indispensable for increasing the chances of limb salvage. We report the first, to our knowledge, successful endovascular treatment of a ruptured popliteal artery aneurysm with a new polytetrafluoroethylene stent-graft in a patient who was unfit for a conventional surgical approach because of his severe pulmonary disease.