Diffuse intravascular coagulation complicating thrombosis of a popliteal aneurysm: a case report

Several reports have described the association between diffuse intravascular coagulation (DIC) and arterial aneurysmal disease. We report a patient with extensive arterial aneurysmal disease who developed transient severe DIC during thrombosis of a popliteal aneurysm; following surgical removal of the thrombosed aneurysm, he was found to have chronic subclinical DIC. We believe thrombosis should be added to the complications of aneurysms which can cause DIC, next to dissection and rupture. The chronic DIC occurring after removal of the thrombosed aneurysm was characterized by an abnormal prothrombin time (PTT), low fibrinogen levels and elevated fibrin split products (FDP's); this pattern may be characteristic of the DIC complicating arterial aneurysms.