True aneurysm of the radial artery: report of a case with long-term follow-up.

Reports on aneurysm of the arteries of the wrist and hand are relatively rare. Presented here is a case of true aneurysm of the radial artery in a 41-year-old-man. The patient had an enlarging painful swelling on the volar aspect of the left wrist, of six months' duration. Under local anesthesia, a transverse incision over the wrist crease revealed an arterial aneurysm. The aneurysm was excised, followed by end-to-end anastomosis. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged nine days after the operation. A follow-up arteriogram, five days later, showed a patent radial artery with good blood flow. This is an excellent example of a successful reconstructive surgical procedure involving a small artery.