Surgical Treatment of Popliteal Venous Aneurysm Associated with Pulmonary Thromboembolism

Abstract

Popliteal venous aneurysm (PVA) is a rare disease that may lead to the potentially fetal pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). PVA should be treated surgically because only anticoagulation treatment is not sufficient to prevent the recurrence of PTE. A 62-year-old woman presented with a sudden onset of dyspnea. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) demonstrated multiple bilateral PTE, and the CT venogram showed a right PVA. We initiated anticoagulation therapy, and performed retrievable inferior vena cava filter insertion. She subsequently underwent aneurysmectomy of the PVA and patch plasty with the small saphenous vein. She has been doing well, without recurrence of PVA and PTE, on warfarin for more than half a year postoperatively. Urgent surgical treatment of PVA should be considered to prevent severe PTE.