Abstract

Background: Gunshot vascular injuries, typical for military conflicts in the past, are encountered in civilian practice with increased frequency.
Case Report: A 23-year-old male was admitted to the vascular surgery department because of a pulsatile popliteal mass on the right, resulting from a gunshot injury sustained 2 months before admission. Additionally to the popliteal artery aneurysm, the presence of an arteriovenous fistula was demonstrated on angiography. A successful surgical repair was performed, however, four years after operation, a mild fixed flexion deformity of the knee still persists. The paper discusses treatment, diagnosis and late sequelae of popliteal artery injury.
Conclusions: Delayed treatment of misdiagnosed popliteal vascular injuries results in chronic disability, despite technically successful surgical repair.

Keywords: popliteal artery injury, gushot injury, arterio-venous fistula, pseudoaneurysm, fixed flexion deformity