Silent posterior tibial artery aneurysm. Report of a case and review of literature.

Pure aneurysm of posterior tibial artery without an obvious cause is very rare and there are probably no cases reported in literature. A case is presented of a posterior tibial artery aneurysm that had remained silent for years. Despite the large size the only presenting symptom was a calf mass. The diagnosis unfortunately was only confirmed during exploration of the mass. The lesson which cannot be over emphasized is that probably all calf masses of obscure aetiology in patients over the age of 40, whether silent or not, big or small, ought to have a femoral arteriogram performed prior to surgery. The literature on this rare condition is also reviewed.