Pathological fracture of the femoral shaft in a case of Servelle–Martorell syndrome (phleboeclatic osteohypoplastic angiodysplasia with associated arterio-venous malformation)

Abstract

A case is presented of a pathological femoral shaft fracture in a 47-year-old woman with a rare form of skeletal angiodysplasia (Servelle–Martorell syndrome). A simple classification of bony changes in congenital skeletal angiodysplasia is included with a literature review. A 47-year-old woman presented to the Accident and Emergency Department having tripped and fallen in the street whilst shopping. The patient had walked with a limp since childhood because of a “short” left leg. A mole had been removed from her left thigh at the age of 9 years. Examination of the left lower limb demonstrated a clinical fracture of the left femoral shaft, 1.5 cm shortening of the left tibia and extensive varicosities with palpable fluid thrill.