Two Cases of Mis-diagnosed Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome

AbstractWe present two young patients with persistent lower leg pains on exercise. Both had previously been investigated and treated with bilateral, 4-compartment fasciotomies for presumed chronic compartment syndrome with no effect on their symptoms. Vascular imaging in both relaxed and resisted plantar-flexed positions revealed a diagnosis of popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) and both patients underwent bilateral release of the popliteal arteries to curative effect.These cases highlight the importance of appropriate investigation of young patients with claudicant symptoms, as the diagnosis of PAES is easily missed with conventional vascular imaging and can lead to irreversible arterial damage