Popliteal venous aneurysm: Report of two cases and review of the world literature

Abstract

These data substantiate the impression that the Health Care Finance Administration has substantially undervalued the costs of performing duplex scanning.

Great saphenous vein aneurysm: A differential diagnosis of femoral hernia and review

“…The cause of venous aneurysms remains unknown, although several theories have been proposed. Lev and Saphir characterized the structural changes that occurred with age and concluded that there are two changes that can lead to aneurysm formation: endophlebohypertrophy [8] (progressive intimal proliferation of elastic, muscle, and connective tissue), which occurs as a normal response to mechanical stress; and endophlebosclerosis (a degenerative pathologic process characterized by alterations in ground substance, disruption and loss of elastic fibers, loss of medial muscle cells, and fibrosis) [11] . This results from the pressure exerted by the adjacent arterial wall and the flow disturbance produced by continuous pulsations.…”

“…Another theory claims that complete absence of medial smooth muscle is clearly congenital [11] . This has been associated with decreased amounts of smooth muscle cells and elastin fibers, fibrous connective tissue and elastic fibers in the vein wall [12] .…”

“…It is likely that a combination of congenital and acquired mechanisms are involved [11] . Gillespie et al noted a reduction in the number and size of muscle and elastic fiber and intimal hyalinization in 4 cases of subcutaneous venous aneurysm [2] .…”

“…Gillespie et al noted a reduction in the number and size of muscle and elastic fiber and intimal hyalinization in 4 cases of subcutaneous venous aneurysm [2] . They also described histologic changes in the adjacent nonaneurysmal portions of these veins consisting of intimal hyperplasia, alterations in elastic fiber content, and ground substance with medial hypertrophy [11] . A significant diminution in the number and size of muscle and elastic fibers in the walls of these aneurysms is a common finding.…”

“…Most venous aneurysm are diagnosed only in the operative field, although they are located in the superficial venous system, are palpable and easily compressed. In earlier reports, venography was suggested as the imaging technique of choice [11] . Venous duplex imaging recently became the noninvasive test of choice for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis and venous aneurysm [3] .…”