Thigh claudication due to profunda femoris artery occlusion

Thigh claudication is usually caused by aortoiliac occlusive disease. A patient with unilateral thigh claudication and normal femoral pulses was found to have isolated profunda femoris occlusion and was successfully treated by profundaplasty. Although this syndrome is rare, a review of vascular anatomy of the thigh and mechanisms of claudication explains its existence.