Traumatic chronic pseudoaneurysms

Traumatic pseudoaneurysms represent untreated arterial insult, especially due to penetrating or missile injuries. In spite of vast improvements in early detection and surgical management of vascular trauma, these injuries frequently elude diagnosis, leading to the formation of chronic pseudoaneurysms. We report three such cases, seen by us over a period of one year, which followed penetrating injury occurring remotely in the past. A pulsatile mass with a systolic bruit was the presentation in all these patients. Clinical examination followed by angiography formed the mainstay of diagnosis.