Adventitial cystic disease of the popliteal artery.

Adventitial cystic disease of the popliteal artery is an unusual condition of uncertain etiology in which a mucin-containing cyst forms in the wall of the popliteal artery and causes symptoms of intermittent claudication, typically in young adults whose arteries are otherwise normal. Arteriography characteristically shows a smooth-walled, curvilinear narrowing. In the case described, a combination of findings from arteriography, computed tomography, and ultrasound resulted in a highly specific preoperative diagnosis.