Treatment of the persistent sciatic artery.

The persistent sciatic artery is a rare vascular anomaly, with only 37 reported cases in the world literature. Estimates of incidence, based on angiographic series, range from 0.04 to 0.06%. It may pose a threat to the viability of the lower extremity, for the pathologic character of the persistent sciatic artery is such that it is especially prone to atheromatous degeneration, thrombosis, distal thromboembolization, aneurysmal formation, and rupture. Although rare, the possibility of such an anomaly must be borne in mind with certain clinical presentations, during orthopedic procedures on the hip, and during angiographic studies of the leg. Successful surgical correction of the problem necessitates excluding the anomalous artery from the circulation while revascularizing the lower extremity.