Management of lateral plantar artery pseudoaneurysm after penetrating injury in children

A case of lateral plantar artery pseudoaneurysm following a penetrating injury in a 10-year-old male is presented. Only a handful of such cases have been reported in the literature, and as such, a defined treatment algorithm is lacking. Our case and a review of the literature suggest that these injuries involve vessel transection, making them unsuitable for ultrasound-guided thrombin injection. In addition, the presence of bacterial contamination of the wound makes attempts at endovascular coiling prohibitive. Direct surgical exploration and ligation should remain the mainstay of therapy in most patients.