Cystic adventitial disease of the popliteal artery. A case report and review of the literature.

Cystic adventitial disease is a rare form of non-atherosclerotic stenosis and one of the main causes of claudication in young and middle-aged men. Approximately 200 case reports are available in the literature to date. It is generally located in the popliteal artery, although it may be found in other arteries and even in veins. The aetiology is still unclear: most authors believe that the cyst may originate from a synovial ganglion close to the adjacent hip joint capsule. Patients affected by adventitial cystic degeneration are often young male non-smokers with intermittent calf claudication. The treatment of choice is surgical removal of the cyst or reconstruction with autologous vein or synthetic graft interposition. Percutaneous US-guided cystic aspiration is a recent easy and safe alternative method for treating the disease but may result in local recurrence. We report the case of a 51-year-old male patient with clinically intermittent claudication of the right leg. The arteriogram showed complete occlusion of the right proximal popliteal artery and no evidence of atherosclerotic disease in other vessels. The diagnosis was made at the time of surgery. Surgical exploration revealed a gelatinous material involving the popliteal artery. It was excised and evacuated and a segment of greater saphenous vein interposed. Ultrasound examination 12 months later showed graft patency and absence of local recurrence.