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Stress MR imaging for evaluation of popliteal artery entrapment
Author(s) -
Cesare Ernesto Di,
Marsili Luca,
Marino Giovanni,
Masciocchi Carlo,
Morettini Giuseppe,
Spartera Carlo,
Lupattelli Luciano,
Passariello Roberto
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.1880040418
Subject(s) - popliteal artery , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , occlusion , gastrocnemius muscle , anatomy , surgery , skeletal muscle
The popliteal artery entrapment (PAE) syndrome has been recognized as a cause of arterial occlusion in young people. It is the result of an anomaly of the relationship between the popliteal artery and the gastrocnemius muscle. Eight young healthy volunteers (16 legs) and six patients (10 legs) with suspected PAE underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Gradient‐echo images were obtained in axial planes with the leg at rest and during active plantar flexion against resistance. Imaging at rest allowed identification of PAE signs in only one leg, which had an anomalous medial course of the popliteal artery. In the other cases, only the stress technique was able to show signal loss in the popliteal artery due to muscular compression (two legs) or the presence of accessory muscle slip around the vessel (two legs), as confirmed at surgery. MR imaging is therefore a useful technique for the diagnosis of PAE because of its capability of combining information obtainable with other modalities.