Post-Traumatic Pseudo Aneurysm of the Radial Artery

Abstract

In Morocco, each year, the emergency services and the University Hospital record more than 20% of the cases of hand injuries and trauma. The Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca alone records 5,000 cases annually, which represents 25% of all cases. This frequency means that many orthopedic surgery departments are called upon to treat these wounds on an emergency basis. It is usual to focus on a nerve or tendon injury as a priority. However, even partial vascular injuries can be complicated by a false aneurysm. This is a fairly rare condition, almost always unrecognized, with sometimes serious consequences, as it is complicated by thrombosis or embolism distal to the arteries of the palmar arch. The diagnosis is evoked by the existence of a sensitive mass, associated with dysesthesia of the fingers and a unilateral Raynaud's phenomenon. It is confirmed by an echo-Doppler. An arteriography is necessary to properly evaluate the palmar arches. It could be replaced by an angio-MRI. We report a case of a 47-year-old patient who came to us with a progressively evolving swelling following a penetrating hand trauma that occurred 12 months earlier. Doppler ultrasound completed by angioscan confirmed the diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm of the right radial artery. The diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm is easier with the considerable development of cross-sectional imaging and angiography.