Cephalic Vein Pseudoaneurysm in the Anatomical Snuff Box: Case Report on a Rare Entity

Correspondence: Renu (E-mail: [e-mail])

Abstract

Background Aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms usually occur in arteries. Venous aneurysms, true or false, are rare entities because of low blood pressure and are usually iatrogenic. They are often misdiagnosed, especially in the upper limbs, given their rarity. Venous pseudoaneurysms, especially spontaneous, are one of the rarest vascular swellings encountered by a surgeon. Even though there are rare reports of cephalic venous pseudoaneurysms, there have been none reported in the anatomical snuff box.

Case report We present a case of a 59-year-old man, who presented with a painless, slow-growing, and compressible swelling in the area of the right anatomical snuff box. There was no history of trauma or any intervention in the region. Radiology confirmed it to be vascular swelling of venous origin. It was managed with surgical excision after ligation of all feeders, and no recurrence was noted till 1-year follow-up. Histopathology confirmed it to be a cephalic vein pseudoaneurysm.

Conclusion Although most pseudoaneurysms are asymptomatic, some of them can cause thrombophlebitis, compression of surrounding structures, or act as a source of embolism, leading to life-threatening complications of pulmonary thromboembolism. Hence it is concluded that while treating the vascular swellings of the hand, this out-of-the-box diagnosis of venous pseudoaneurysm should also be kept in mind.

Keywords: venous pseudoaneurysm, cephalic vein, snuff box, surgical excision, rare vascular swelling

Publication History

Article published online:
10 November 2025