[Thombosis of a persistent sciatic artery: a rare cause of severe ischemia in the lower limb (author's transl)].

Persistence of the primitive axial limb artery is an uncommon developemental anomaly. This artery is called sciatic in account of its connections with the nerve. Usually gluteal aneurysms develop and the anomaly is disclosed by a complication : pain, pulsatile buttock mass, thrombosis or release of emboli. Prophylactic surgical repair of such aneurysms seems reasonable.