Persistent sciatic artery in a patient with unilateral acute lower extremity ischemia.

We report a rare case of a persistent sciatic artery in a 59-year-old woman who had presented with unilateral acute limb ischemia. A heparin infusion was started. A right lower extremity arterial duplex ultrasound scan showed an occluded superficial femoral artery and underwent catheter-directed thrombolysis of her right popliteal artery, which was fed by a persistent sciatic artery. After recovery, computed tomography angiography was performed, which confirmed a persistent sciatic artery of the right lower extremity. The patient had presented with thrombotic disease secondary to atherosclerosis of popliteal and tibial arteries, in contrast to the more commonly seen aneurysmal disease with thrombosis.