Left axillary artery pseudoaneurysm developing 1 year after a stab wound

Abstract

Ufuk Turan Kürşat Korkmaz Karabük Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Kalp ve Damar Cerrahisi Anabilim Dalı, Karabük, Türkiye. e-mail: ufuktkk@gmail.com INTRODUCTION Arterial pseudoaneurysm occurs as a result of surgical interventions, infection, or trauma when the integrity of the arterial wall is impaired, resulting in limited blood supply to surrounding tissues. It is seen in the form of pulsatile masses containing a thrombus surrounded by a fibrous capsule that does not include all the arterial wall layers (1, 2). The most common cause of pseudoaneurysms is arterial trauma, and pseudoaneurysms in upper extremity peripheral arteries are seen much less frequently than those in lower extremity peripheral arteries (2). As upper extremity pseudoaneurysms can cause significant disabilities such as the loss of fingers or the upper extremity. Hence, diagnosis and surgical treatment are important (3). The pseudoaneurysm is formed of a fibrous capsule extending from the external wall. When a traumatic pseudoaneurysm is formed, it can create pressure on the surrounding nerve or vessel by expanding or lead to the formation of an embolism as thrombosis within the vessel and/or in the distal region (4). This study discussed the successful surgical treatment of a patient with left axillary artery pseudoaneurysm, which developed 1 year after a stab injury. Considering the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation applied to this patient in the light of information available in the literature, the study aimed to shed light on the vascular surgery applications in the patient’s native place Somalia.