Pseudoaneurysm of the lateral malleolar, artery after an ankle sprain: Case report and review of the literature

A pseudoaneurysm of the peroneal artery or one of its branches is rare afte r trauma. The diagnosis is frequently delayed, resulting in substantial mor bidity to the patient. The infrequent occurrence of this condition has resu lted in a lack of diagnostic and treatment guidelines. However, when recogn ized, prompt attention involving either surgical ligation or embolization o f the injured arterial branch is the most reliable method of treatment. Pre sented is a report of a patient who developed a lateral malleolar arterial pseudoaneurysm after an ankle sprain, which was treated successfully with a neurysmal excision and surgical ligation of the injured arterial branch. A review of the literature and treatment recommendations follow.