Popliteal artery entrapment: importance of the stress Runoff for diagnosis

We review our experience with seven patients, (12 affected extremities) with popliteal artery entrapment. The classic angiographic finding of medial deviation of the popliteal artery was found in only three patients (four extremities). Four patients (eight extremities) had no medial deviation of their popliteal arteries and required a stress runoff examination to demonstrate arterial entrapment. Five patients had bilateral entrapment. This patient series underscores the need to consider possible arterial entrapment even when the popliteal arteries appear normal on the resting runoff examination as well as the importance of imaging both extremities since the incidence of bilateral entrapment may be higher than previously recognized.