[Persistent sciatic artery. Apropos of a case, review of the literature ]

A case is reported of bilateral persisting sciatic arteries: complete on the right side but incomplete on the left, revealed by the onset of a distal embolism on the right side treated by exclusion and a right femoropopliteal shunt operation. The observation of this further case in France led to a review of the literature which demonstrated the rarity of this congenital anomaly, which usually however represents the only vascular axis to the lower limb, and the frequency of aneurysmal transformations with subsequent complications that are best treated by ligature combined with a femoropopliteal shunt.