Dorsalis Pedis Aneurysm: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Although approximately 10% of the population does not possess a dorsalis pedis artery 1 , some authors postulate as to the potential future complications associated with restricting blood flow to the foot. 11,13 Case PresentationA 52 year old male resident of the Cayman Islands initially presented to the emergency room for a complaint of epigastric and right upper quadrant pain. A consultation was placed with the Podiatry Service regarding a mass on the dorsum of his right foot.During the initial exam, the patient states that the "bump" has been on top of the right foot for more than seven years. The patient relates that when he first noticed the lesion there was sharp, stabbing pain.

A Morphological Study of Dorsalis Pedis Artery and Its Clinical Correlation

“…In the same manner, at a later stage, anterior tibial artery develops from an anastomotic chain connecting popliteal artery with dorsalis pedis artery. This new vessel reaches its full development in human being alone and saphenous artery is lost [2].…”

“…The medial plantar artery is theearliest amongst the two. The saphenous artery itself continues as the dorsalis pedis artery [2].…”

“…It is the artery of peripheral vascular disease. Dorsalis pedis artery is an easily accessibleartery for assessing pedal pulsations [1].Examination of pedal pulses remains a useful clinical tool when evaluating peripheral circulationand absence of the Dorsalis pedis pulsation in a child can lead to contracture and retard trophic growth of foot [2]. The anatomical basis for the absence of its pulsations is the change in the arterial branching pattern, deviant course and its small caliber [3].The present study is done to determine the branching pattern and caliber of the artery.…”

“Sandal strap” trauma and atherosclerosis are dual pathologies leading to bilateral true aneurysms of the dorsalis pedis arteries

“…A recurring theme within the literature of DPA aneurysms is discomfort associated with wearing footwear. 4,10,13 This symptom is often an inciting factor for seeking medical advice. Our patient also noted discomfort from her footwear.…”

“…However, the patient no longer wears sandals with a dorsal shoe strap. been reported in the literature (Table), [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] including one recent case of nonsimultaneous, bilateral involvement in a 61-year-old woman who presented with a large, right DPA true aneurysm, 10 years after resection of a large, left DPA true aneurysm. 19 We believe our report is the first to describe a case of simultaneous, bilateral true aneurysms of the DPAs in a single patient.…”