Bilateral Brachial Artery Aneurysms with Distal Embolisms in a Patient with Prolonged Crutch Compression

Abstract

Chronic axillary crutch use may lead to axillary or brachial artery aneurysms and associated axillobrachial thromboembolic complications. Most of these aneurysms remain asymptomatic and undiagnosed until a complication occurs. Early diagnosis and appropriate surgical management of the aneurysms is required for a favorable outcome. We report a case of bilateral brachial artery aneurysms with left radial and ulnar artery embolisms in a patient who had been using crutches for 33 years due to a congenital skeletal anomaly.

Keywords

• brachial artery
• aneurysm
• crutches
• blood vessel prosthesis
• embolism