[The external saphenous artery. Preliminary remarks on its importance in phlebology]

An arterial branch, companion of the external saphenous artery, has been described on rare occasions by anatomists. Certain exceptional complications of sclerosant treatment of the varicose external saphenous vein can only be explained by accidental injection of this arteriole. The accidental injection produces cutaneous ischaemia of variable severity and sometimes a partial muscular ischaemia, usually of the internal gemellus. Certain precautions should be taken in order to avoid such an accident. Curative treatment involves both immediate actions and a secondary treatment.