CASE REPORTS  VASCULAR PAPERS 

The Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 1999 December;40(6):861-3

Copyright © 2000 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Insidious symptomatology and misleading physical findings in popliteal artery entrapment syndrome. A case report

Berger H. A.

From the Poseidon Institute, Wunstorf, Germany

A ­patient pre­sented ­with an ­ischemic ­right fore­foot. She suf­fered ­rest ­pain but had ­relief on ­walking and on ­flexing her leg. Pop­li­teal and ­pedal ­pulses ­were pal­pable. The under­lying con­di­tion was pop­li­teal ­artery entrap­ment. Com­pres­sion of the pop­li­teal ­artery ­occurred ­with exten­sion of the ­knee and addi­tional con­trac­tion of the gas­troc­ne­mius mus­cles ­only and was ­released ­with ­flexion. ­Distal embol­iza­tions ­into all ­three ­lower leg ­arteries had ­caused ­acute ­ischemia. As the ­emboli had trav­elled ­through ­both ­tibial ves­sels ­very dis­tally ­pedal ­pulses ­were ­found to be ­normal. Treat­ment was oper­a­tively by resec­tion of a ­tiny lat­eral por­tion of the ­medial gas­troc­nemic ­tendon ­which ­crossed the ­artery dor­sally as the ­vessel ­pierced the ­tendon.