Atherosclerotic aneurysms of the superficial femoral artery: a literature review and report of six additional cases.

Six patients with seven superficial femoral artery aneurysms are described, and additional cases in the literature are reviewed. Superficial femoral artery aneurysms are found in elderly patients with advanced atherosclerosis. These patients usually present with signs and symptoms of a high mass, often with local expansion and rupture. Proximal and distal ligation with vein bypass grafting was, for the authors, a satisfactory method of treatment. Patients with this lesion should be screened for possible abdominal aortic aneurysms, present in 33% of the authors' patients, and for other peripheral aneurysms, present in 50% of the authors' patients. Superficial femoral artery aneurysms should be surgically repaired, because when untreated, they tend to rupture and occasionally serve as a source of emboli.