Lower limb ischaemia due to occlusion of a persistent sciatic artery aneurysm: a case report

persistent sciatic artery is a rare embryological anomaly. the authors report the clinical case of a 81-year-old man presenting with a right lower limb ischaemia and a pulsatile mass in the buttock. computed tomographic angiography demonstrated a complete and unilateral persistent sciatic artery, with an aneurysmal degeneration on its, proximal third. during the pre-operative workup, spontaneous aneurismal occlusion occurred, worsening the condition to a critical ischaemia. the patient underwent, successfully, a distal femoro-popliteal bypass. review of the literature confirms the rarity of this anomaly, which is frequently associated to degenerative changes. surgical repair is prompt recommended to prevent complications.