Adventitial cystic disease of radial artery. Apropos of a case and review of literature

Adventitial cystic disease is an uncommon condition that is characterized by the collection of mucinous material that accumulates in the adventitial layer of the artery. Predominantly, this entity affects the popliteal artery, whereas it is extremely rare in the radial artery. We report a 72-year-old female patient that underwent surgical treatment of an adventitial cyst of the right radial artery. The involved arterial segment was resected, and reconstruction by means of the interposition of a saphenous vein graft was performed. Although the etiology is still debated, the finding of a pedicle through the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery connecting to the adjacent wrist joint reinforces the hypothesis of synovial origin. After 12 months, the patient is asymptomatic, and duplex ultrasound shows no signs of recurrence and patency of the bypass. This rare entity should be suspected when a pulsatile mass is noted in the radial artery because an early diagnosis and appropriate management may prevent further complications.