Persistent sciatic vessels, varicose veins, and lower limb hypertrophy: An unusual case or discrete clinical syndrome?

Persistent sciatic artery is a rare congenital anomaly with a high incidence rate of aneurysmal degeneration and risk of thromboembolization or rupture. Despite a number of recognized associations, the presence of coexistent venous anomalies is extremely rare. We present the case of a 27-year-old woman with atypical left-sided varicose veins and soft tissue hypertrophy. Imaging showed persistence of both sciatic artery and vein. Whether these anomalies are an incidental finding or represent a discrete clinical syndrome remains unclear. We emphasize that unusual distribution varicose veins may be associated with underlying persistent sciatic vessels and recommend formal duplex scan assessment for these anomalies. (J Vasc Surg 2002;36:396-400.)