Giant popliteal artery aneurysm

Case contributed by Roberto Schubert
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Palpable mass in the back of the knee initially mistaken for a popliteal cyst.

Patient Data

Age: 65 years
Gender: Male

Large oval, sharply delineated, popliteal mass in continuation with the popliteal artery. Hyperintense signal on T1. Hypo-, iso-, and hyperintense signals with concentric layering on T2. Compression of the popliteal vein.

Case Discussion

Typical MRI aspect of a large thrombosed aneurysm. A popliteal cyst can be ruled out easily by identifying the gastrocnemius semimembranosus bursa in the medial popliteal fossa, which contains only minimal fluid.

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