The value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of popliteal artery aneurysms.

Although popliteal artery aneurysms are among the most common type of peripheral artery aneurysm, they may be difficult to diagnose until complications such as peripheral embolization, acute thrombosis and rupture occur. Pressure on adjacent structures may cause neurological symptoms and venous thrombosis. The diagnosis of peripheral artery aneurysms is usually made by physical examination and arteriography. Recently, ultrasound of the popliteal space has been found to be very useful in the diagnosis of popliteal artery aneurysms. It is therefore important to recognize the value of ultrasound for imaging popliteal artery aneurysms and to use this readily available non-invasive modality in patients in which physical examination and/or angiography of the popliteal fossa is equivocal. We present one case of a popliteal artery aneurysm which was missed by angiography and physical examination in which ultrasound was very important in diagnosing this aneurysm pre-operatively, and two cases in which the ultrasound examination confirmed the presence of the popliteal artery aneurysm but better delineated its size than did angiography.