Behçet disease with left superficial femoral artery pseudoaneurysm: a case report

Background: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis secondary to connective tissue disease of unknown etiology. The prevalence of BD varies geographically, being highest along the ancient Silk Road, including in the Middle East and East Asia. BD may involve the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, or major blood vessels, and may lead to serious complications. Although BD complicated by aneurysms is rare, it carries severe consequences and predominantly affects large and medium-sized arteries, such as the abdominal aorta, iliac, femoral, and popliteal arteries. We report the rare case of BD complicated by aneurysms, which could provide valuable information for clinicians. Case presentation: A 69-year-old male patient came to our hospital complaining of a left thigh mass and rest pain in the left foot that began 20 days earlier. After admission and completion of ancillary investigations, the patient was diagnosed with Behçet disease and a left superficial femoral artery pseudoaneurysm. The patient was treated with immunosuppressive therapy (thalidomide 50 mg/day) and steroid pulse therapy (prednisone 30 mg/day), and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting of the left lower extremity was successfully performed under local anesthesia. The patient was followed up for 3 months without complications. Conclusions: For patients presenting with aneurysms, especially in male patients, a detailed medical history should be obtained to rule out vascular-type BD. It is very important to avoid surgery during the active stage of inflammation and to implement long-term, systematic treatment of the underlying disease.