Abstract
Peripheral arterial (PA) aneurysms show a frequency of 20% of whole aortic aneurysms, and deep femoral artery (DFA) aneurysms account for 0.5% of PA aneurysms. We report a case of a ruptured aneurysm of the medial circumflex femoral artery (MCFA) a branch of the DFA. A 76-year-old woman noticed swelling and pain of the right femur. We diagnosed aneurysmal rupture and performed an emergency operation because of the risk of compartment syndrome. DFA aneurysms are rare because : 1) PA are rarely affected by arteriosclerosis, 2) the DFA is surrounded by adductor muscles, and 3) DFA dilatation is rare because the vessel is composed of a muscle layer rather than elastic fibers. Thus, DFA aneurysms remain silent until they rupture. This patient revealed no history of trauma, catheter intervention, infection, or collagen disease ; thus, the cause of the MCFA aneurysm was unclear. An addition of further cases to the literature may reveal the mechanism underlying the development of DFA aneurysms and the associated risk factors, which could help to establish appropriate treatment guidelines.
