Pseudoaneurysm of the inferior epigastric artery

Abdominal wound closure with safety retention sutures can cause intestinal obstruction, fistula, skin necrosis and rarely pseudoaneurysms of the inferior epigastric artery (IEA) (1, 2, 3). We report the case of a man presenting with a pseudoaneurysm of the IEA after traumatic extraction of retention sutures, successfully treated by surgical ligation of the feeding vessels. The importance of contrast enhanced CT and duplex colour Doppler sonography in differential diagnosis of postoperative abdominal wall masses is discussed, as well as possibilities and risks in the treatment of false aneurysms of the IEA.