Pulmonary embolism caused by popliteal venous aneurysm

Abstract

Venous aneurysms are uncommon in the lower limb and are more frequently found in the neck and thoracic and visceral veins. However, they have been reported to cause thrombosis, pulmonary thromboembolism, and other related complications. Popliteal venous aneurysms are often undetected because they are usually asymptomatic, but they may cause pulmonary thromboembolic events. We experienced a case of a 44-year-old man who was referred for recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism. He showed no other symptoms or signs except shortness of breath. A popliteal venous aneurysm was diagnosed incidentally because the examinations were performed to detect a deep vein thrombosis in relationship to the patient's history of pulmonary thromboembolism. We report a case of surgical treatment for a popliteal venous aneurysm that was complicated by pulmonary thromboembolism. © The Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2013.