Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome: Aberrant origin of gastrocnemius muscle shown by 3D CT

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to evaluate the usefulness of 3D CT in the diagnosis of popliteal artery entrapment (PAE) syndrome. Method: Three patients (three men, 22-70 years old) with suspected PAE syndrome were examined using helical CT. 3D images were reconstructed to evaluate the relationship between the popliteal artery and the gastrocnemius muscle. 3D arteriograms were simultaneously reconstructed. Results: One patient had unilateral type 3 PAE syndrome. Bilateral PAE syndrome was seen in the other two cases: One had bilateral type 2 anomalies and the other had type 3 on the left and type 2 on the right. In all three cases the anomalous origin of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle and its relationship to popliteal artery were clearly visualized by 3D CT. In addition, CT arteriography could detect occlusion, deviation, or stenosis of the popliteal arteries. Conclusion: 3D CT is useful in the diagnosis and management of PAE syndrome.