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Popliteal artery compression may be caused by a Baker's cyst as documented by this case report. Typically this occurs in a relatively young patient without other evidence of atherosclerosis. The ischemic symptoms may be intermittent. Treatment should include resection of the offending cyst and any damaged popliteal artery.
The trapped popliteal artery syndrome is an extrinsic dynamic compression of the vascular structures in the popliteal fossa by the surrounding fibromuscular structures. The condition mainly affects the popliteal artery resulting in atypical intermittent claudication because it often occurs in young and active patients. The arterial lesions are initially purely extrinsic and dynamic; sometimes they progress to thrombosis, embolism or aneurysm due to jet lesions. The diagnosis is obtained by radiology in the uncomplicated forms by showing compression or complete occlusion of the artery during contraction of the gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscles. Doppler studies of the posterior tibial artery may also demonstrate the condition during these manoeuvres. The epidemiological study was performed in 199 medical students and 80 athletes. A positional abolition of the posterior tibial artery was demonstrated in 39 students (19%) and 12 athletes (15%). The entrapment was commoner in females (24%) than males (13%). It was observed more frequently in dancers, cyclists and basket ball players: 12 control digitised intravenous angiographies were performed; the diagnosis was confirmed in 11 cases. Several anatomical anomalies of the popliteal fossa may give rise to this condition. The commonest is a deviation of the artery within the internal head of the gastronemius muscle; compression by the soleus or fibro muscular bands arising from the semi-tendinous or semi-membranous have been described. The treatment is surgical in very symptomatic or complicated cases; uncrossing the artery associated with venous grafting in cases of thrombosis are the procedures of choice.
This study was designed to assess a possible correlation between flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the popliteal artery and the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery. Impaired vasodilation is one of early markers of atherosclerosis that has not been studied on the popliteal artery. An increase in intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery is also considered to be an indication of early stages of atherosclerosis. With use of ultrasound, the diameter of the popliteal artery was measured at rest and during reactive hyperemia after 5-minute arterial occlusion. Subsequently, the intima-media thickness was measured in left common carotid arteries in 27 patients with hyperlipidemia, in 10 patients with confirmed coronary artery disease, and in 20 healthy individuals. In healthy individuals, popliteal artery diameter increased by mean of 6.6 +/- 3.5% (p < 0.01) in relation to hyperemia. In patients with hyperlipidemia before therapy and in patients with coronary disease, no increase in diameter occurred (mean, 0.44% and -1.6%, respectively). The difference between healthy individuals and patients was statistically significant at p < 0.001. The popliteal artery seems to respond similarly to the brachial artery. When comparing the change in popliteal artery diameter and intima-media thickness of common carotid arteries, a strong negative correlation (r = -0.5713, p < 0.001) was observed in all subjects.
OBJECTIVE: Popliteal artery aneurysms can be treated endovascularly with less perioperative morbidity compared with open repair. To evaluate suitability of the endovascular technique and the clinical results of this treatment, we analyzed a prospective cohort of consecutive popliteal aneurysms referred to a tertiary university vascular center. METHODS: All popliteal artery aneurysms between June 1998 and June 2004 that measured >20 mm in diameter were analyzed for endovascular repair. Anatomic suitability was based largely on quality of the proximal and distal landing zone as determined by angiography. Endovascular treatment was performed by using a nitinol-supported expanded polytetrafluoroethylene lined stent graft introduced through the common femoral artery. RESULTS: We analyzed 67 aneurysms in 57 patients. Ten aneurysms (15%) were excluded from endovascular repair, or from any repair at all, for various reasons. The remaining 57 (85%) were treated endovascularly, of which 5 were treated emergently for acute ischemia. During a mean 24-month follow-up, 12 stent grafts (21%) occluded. Primary and secondary patency rates were 80% and 90% at 1 year, and 77% and 87% at 2 years of follow-up. Postoperative treatment with clopidogrel proved to be the only significant predictor for success. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular repair of a popliteal artery aneurysm is feasible. Changes in the material used and the addition of clopidogrel may improve patency rates.
Case reports of three patients presenting with acute limb-threatening lower extremity ischemia as a result of thrombosed popliteal artery aneurysms are described. Intra-arterial urokinase was administered to each patient prior to definitive surgery. This improved the infrapopliteal runoff in each case, allowing for successful arterial reconstruction without limb loss.
We report 15 examples of popliteal artery entrapment syndrome observed in 11 patients. The anatomical causes were as follows: in one case, the popliteal artery presented an aberrant course medially to the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle. In 5 cases, there was a small fibrous band linking the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle to the lateral condyle and crossing behind the popliteal artery; in 5 cases this anomaly was also found in association with an abnormally high and/or internal insertion of the medial head of gastrocnemius muscle. In the last 4 cases, there was a muscular insertion anomaly associated with muscular hypertrophy causing arterial compression. Arteriography performed in the 11 patients showed evocative signs of the diagnosis in all cases where the artery was patent. Two popliteal arteries were occluded. CT scan and MRI examination of the popliteal fossa enabled us to define the muscular origin of the popliteal compression. All of the patients were operated upon; two received a reversed saphenous bypass and all of the others were treated by liberation of the popliteal artery and/or vein by a posterior approach. Follow-up in all patients at long term showed good prognosis. All of the patients were able to take up their previous physical activities without sequelae. Our review of the literature, which is based on 374 cases of popliteal artery entrapment observed in 280 patients, made it possible to define the frequency of the various anomalies observed, their symptoms and the different therapeutic possibilities. The multiple anatomical classifications as well as the arterial and muscular embryology are also described.
We report a case in which the popliteal artery was divided during upper tibial osteotomy performed with the knee in 90 degrees of flexion. This position is believed to allow it to fall safely back from the tibia, but we could find no published confirmation. We used duplex ultrasonography in ten healthy volunteers to measure the distance from the popliteal artery to the posterior surface of the tibia at various degrees of flexion of the knee. Our results showed that in 12 of 20 knees the popliteal artery was closer to the tibia in 90 degrees of knee flexion than in full extension. Surgeons performing upper tibial osteotomy should be aware that flexing the knee does not protect the popliteal artery from injury.
Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) is well-described in adults, but is an uncommon cause of lower-limb pain in children. We present an 11.5-year-old girl with thrombosed aneurysm of the right popliteal artery, subsequently diagnosed with bilateral type I PAES. Multimodality illustration of the radiological findings is presented.
A 10-year-experience of 217 femoropopliteal bypasses to isolated popliteal artery segments in 207 patients is reported. Thirty-three femoropopliteal bypasses (15%) were performed with reversed saphenous vein and 184 (85%) with polytetrafluoroethylene grafts. Operative indications were gangrene in 121 (56%), nonhealing ulceration in 40 (18%), ischemic rest pain in 51 (24%), and claudication in 5 (2%) cases. The 5-year primary graft patency rate of these bypasses was 59% (reversed saphenous vein, 74%; polytetrafluoroethylene, 55%; p less than 0.05), the secondary 5-year graft patency rate was 61% (reversed saphenous vein, 79%; polytetrafluoroethylene, 56%; p less than 0.05), and the 5-year limb salvage rate was 78% (reversed saphenous vein, 78%; polytetrafluoroethylene, 78%). The 30-day operative mortality rate was 10%, and the 5-year patient survival rate was 38%. Eleven patients (5%) required lower extremity amputation because of progressive gangrene or extensive infection despite a patent bypass to an isolated popliteal artery segment. We conclude that femoropopliteal bypasses to isolated popliteal artery segments (1) have acceptable 5-year graft patency and limb salvage rates; (2) should be performed with reversed saphenous vein grafts when possible; (3) may be performed with polytetrafluoroethylene grafts if necessary, with a resulting limb salvage rate equal to that of reversed saphenous vein grafts; and (4) require sequential extension to an infrapopliteal artery in up to 20% of patients. In addition, the presence of an isolated popliteal artery segment is associated with a high operative mortality rate and limited life expectancy because of coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE: We undertook this study to determine whether popliteal artery aneurysm diameter correlates with initial symptoms and presence of associated occlusive disease. METHODS: Duplex arteriography before infrainguinal revascularization in 500 lower extremities enabled diagnosis of 34 popliteal aneurysms in 25 patients (24 male, 1 female) over the last 4 years. Fourteen patients (41%) had no symptoms (group 1) and 20 (59%) had symptoms (group 2) of severe claudication (n = 8), acute ischemia (n = 6), rest pain (n = 2), and tissue loss (n = 4). We compared clinical presentation with popliteal artery diameter, prevalence of thrombosis, and presence of associated occlusive disease. RESULTS: Popliteal artery aneurysm diameter averaged 2.8 +/- 0.7 cm (range, 1.8-4.5 cm) in group 1 and 2.2 +/- 0.8 cm (range, 1.3-4.0 cm) in group 2 (P <.03). Popliteal aneurysm thrombosis was present in 7 of 20 limbs in group 2. Four of these patients also had ipsilateral superficial femoral artery thrombosis. Evaluation of the infrapopliteal arteries in group 1 showed three-vessel runoff in 7 limbs, two-vessel runoff in 3 limbs, one-vessel runoff in 2 limbs, and no vessel runoff in 2 limbs. However, all infrapopliteal arteries were either occluded or significantly stenotic in 14 limbs (70%). In group 2, one-vessel runoff was observed in 5 limbs, and two-vessel runoff in 1 limb. CONCLUSIONS: Smaller popliteal artery aneurysm was associated with higher incidence of thrombosis, clinical symptoms, and distal occlusive disease. Liberal use of duplex scanning in this setting may have accounted for the increased awareness that small popliteal artery aneurysms can thrombose and present with severe ischemia.
Popliteal artery aneurysm is not a rare event and is the most common type of peripheral arterial aneurysm. The Authors report on their experience with two cases. One patient had a giant popliteal aneurysm and was treated with a dacron patch, while the other had a smaller one and was treated with an inverse saphenous vein bypass. The Authors stress the importance of a thorough study of the patients in order to rule out aneurysmal disease in other sites. They conclude that early surgical intervention is the only effective therapeutic tool to avoid serious complications.
The results obtained by placing reversed autogenous saphenous vein bypass grafts in either isolated popliteal artery segments or tibial vessels distal to the popliteal artery segments or tibial vessels distal to the popliteal artery are compared. Fifty-five patients with arteriosclerotic peripheral vascular disease who were threatened with limb loss were followed up from six months to nine years prior to this report. The success rate at one year was 94 per cent for the isolated popliteal segment grafts and 73 per cent for the tibial vessel grafts. The success rate after four years was 70 per cent for the isolated popliteal segment grafts and 63 per cent for the tibial vessel grafts. The clinical factors associated with the success of isolated popliteal segment bypass grafts and the factors apparently associated with failure of vein grafts in both of these groups with very poor distal arterial outflow are discussed. Our results suggest that either an isolated popliteal artery segment graft or a tibial vessel graft is a satisfactory means of treating these patients; however, a graft to an isolated popliteal segment is probably preferable to a graft to a tibial artery.
Adventitial cysts of the popliteal artery are rare. Their pathogenesis is debated. In one of the two cases reported here, there was a communication between the arterial cyst and the articulation of the knee. This supports the embryonic theory that the articular synovium and adventitial cysts have the same mesenchymal origins. Treatment is surgical, with simple evacuation of the contents of the cyst in uncomplicated cases, excision and reconstruction in the others.
A forty-six-year-old, non smoker, patient presented with an intermittent claudication of the right calf, clinically compatible with a low popliteal artery obliteration. Arteriography showed an irregular intercondylar popliteal artery and oblitered low popliteal and anterior tibial arteries. Surgical posterior access showed a faulty insertion of the mediate gastrocnemius caput responsible for popliteal artery entrapment syndrome and for aneurysmal dilatation of the popliteal artery above compression. As far as we know, this form of popliteal artery entrapment syndrome has not been published yet.
External compression of the popliteal artery is probably still underdiagnosed. Young patients with atypical claudication, with isolated popliteal changes, deserve thorough investigation. Subdividing the entrapment syndrome into three subgroups (I-III) highlights the clinically important characteristics of the different types. Delayed diagnosis leads to arterial occlusion with clinical and radiological resemblance to arteriosclerotic occlusive disease. At this stage a medial approach with reversed saphenous vein bypass is recommended. If the artery is still patent, a posterior S-shape approach offers good exposure for arterial decompression, rerouting and possible ancillary measures. In addition to reviewing the literature and outlining the classification criteria and surgical treatment, five cases of our own are presented including two rarities. In one both type I and type III existed simultaneously. In the other the popliteal artery entrapment was combined with cystic adventitial disease.
A 22 year old Japanese man with popliteal artery entrapment syndrome in which both popliteal arteries were segmentally occluded and deviated medially, underwent surgical treatment by grafting and patching with autologous veins. His identical co-twin was also found to have a less severe form of popliteal artery entrapment syndrome. This is the first report of popliteal artery entrapment syndrome presenting in a pair of monozygotic twins and the concordance of the syndrome suggests that genetic factors may play a part in the development of this rare syndrome.
A giant popliteal aneurysm case, whose first symptom was an acute ischemia on the limb, caused by thrombosis, which was successfully treated, is reported. Although popliteal aneurysm is not a rare event, the interest of this case is focused on its extraordinary size and unique location.
OBJECTIVES: Ligation and bypass is the most commonly performed surgical treatment for popliteal artery aneurysm. This approach can be complicated by persistent collateral flow to the excluded aneurysm sac, which may lead to aneurysm growth, the development of compressive symptoms, and in some cases, rupture. Repair of popliteal aneurysms by posterior endoaneurysmorrhaphy and reconstruction with a short prosthetic interposition graft avoids these complications because patent collaterals communicating with the aneurysm sac are oversewn at the time of surgery. We report the early and mid-term outcomes of popliteal artery aneurysm repair using this posterior approach. METHODS: The records of all patients operated on for popliteal artery aneurysm from December 1981 to June 2003 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who underwent popliteal artery aneurysm repair with a posterior approach were included in the study. RESULTS: From 1981 to 2003, 30 popliteal aneurysms (mean diameter, 3.2 cm; range, 1.9 to 6.2 cm) were repaired in 24 patients using a posterior approach with interposition prosthetic grafting. The median follow up was 21.5 months. Primary patency, primary assisted patency, and secondary patency were 92.2%, 95.8%, and 95.8%, respectively, at 1 and 2 years. The limb salvage rate was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Popliteal endoaneurysmorrhaphy using a posterior approach with interposition prosthetic grafting is simple, safe, and effective. The patency and limb salvage rates are equivalent to those obtained with ligation and vein bypass. In addition, the posterior approach eliminates the postoperative complications associated with persistent collateral flow into the aneurysm sac.