Acute occlusion of the left iliac artery after long-distance-running

We report a case of spontaneous iliac occlusion in a 44-year-old male patie nt after long-distance running. Atherogenic risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and smoking were missing. Spontaneous iliac occlusion is extremely rare and only a few cases have been documented. Ang iography showed occlusion of the left iliac artery with collateral flow via the obturator artery to the common femoral artery Thrombectomy was perform ed but reocclusion occured. An iliacofemoral bypass, arterial lysis and byp ass thrombectomy was necessary within a few months. At the fast follow-up v isit two years afterwards the patient was symptom-free. This case indicates that exercise-dependent blood flow disturbances in long-distance-runners c ould produce changes of the intima.