Occlusion of Dorsalis Pedis Artery in an Athlete.

A 17-year-old Japanese boy was admitted to our hospital with intermittent claudication. He belonged to a weightlifting team at a high school. He had occasionally dropped lightweight lifting weights on his right foot. Arteriography of the right anterior and posterior tibial arteries revealed a 4-cm total occlusion in the right dorsalis pedis artery (DPA). Intravascular ultrasonography revealed intimal thickening and thrombus formation He was diagnosed with thrombus occlusion of the right DPA due to intimal artery damage caused by lightweight weightlifting. DPA thrombosis may occur in young athletes who do not have atherosclerosis or vasculitis.