Multiple sequential posttraumatic pseudoaneurysms following high-energy injuries: case report and review of the literature.

A 15-year-old boy sustained severe multisystem injuries from a satchel charge while in his native village in southern Lebanon. After evacuation and resuscitation measures, he had successful intensive multidisciplinary surgical care. His long-bone fractures were stabilized by tubular external fixation systems, and his lacerated right tibialis anterior artery was grafted. Twenty days after injury, he developed a pseudoaneurysm of the left distal ulnar artery, which was surgically resected and the ulnar artery proximally ligated. Two weeks later, a pseudoaneurysm of the left peroneal artery, distal to the knee and coupled with an arteriovenous fistula, was diagnosed. This was treated by fluoroscopic controlled embolization with placement of stents. The patient recovered uneventfully. He was last seen two years after surgery, and no gross vascular compromise of any of his limbs was evident. This appears to be the only reported patient with late-developing multiple posttraumatic pseudoaneurysms after severe blast and shrapnel injuries. This development suggests that late sequelae of blast injuries may be topographically widespread and can evolve months after the injury. As such, these patients should be followed closely with a high degree of suspicion for the appearance of new signs or symptoms.