Emergency Point-of-Care Ultrasound Diagnosis of a Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysm

Abstract

Background: Iatrogenic femoral artery pseudoaneurysm formation after intervention of the femoral artery may present weeks after intervention. We report a case of a patient with delayed pseudoaneurysm diagnosis that was ultimately diagnosed with bedside ultrasound. Importantly, our case demonstrates a patient who had a left-sided atherectomy and angioplasty with microcatheter access of the right femoral artery.

Case report: A 68-year-old man with multiple comorbidities presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with right inguinal pain, swelling, and overlying skin changes 17 days after an interventional radiology-guided left-sided femoral artery atherectomy and angioplasty. His first postoperative ED visit at an outside hospital led to the diagnosis of a hematoma vs. abscess, with attempted bedside drainage. On presentation to our ED, a bedside ultrasound confirmed arterial pseudoaneurysm formation of the right femoral artery. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: In patients presenting with the constellation of symptoms after arterial site intervention of either side, iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm should be in the differential. Although the patient had atherectomy and angioplasty of the left femoral artery, it is important to highlight that both femoral arteries were accessed during intervention, and thus, both sites are at risk for pseudoaneurysm formation. Emergency sonography can be a useful tool to diagnose, expedite treatment, and avoid potentially harmful invasive procedures in patients presenting with pain and swelling after arterial site intervention.

Keywords: emergency medicine; point-of-care ultrasound; pseudoaneurysm; ultrasonography.