title: Generalized dilating diathesis in patients with popliteal arterial aneurysm.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA) and generalized arteriomegaly.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this consecutive serie, thirty-three patients (1 woman, mean age 69.7 +/- 9.6 years) undergoing PAA repair between 1996 and 2000 agreed to participate in a duplex screening program to assess the diameters of the infrarenal abdominal aorta, common and external iliac, common and superficial femoral and contralateral popliteal arteries as well as common carotid and brachial arteries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of arteriomegaly and aneurysmal disease, respectively, was as follows: abdominal aorta 15/33 (45.5%) and 8/33 (24.2%), common iliac artery 34/66 (51.5%) and 23/66 (34.8%), common femoral artery 55/66 (83.3%) and 7/66 (10.6%) as well as contralateral popliteal artery 7/33 (21.2%) 15/33 (45.5%). Significantly larger carotid artery diameters were found comparing PAA patients with age- and body surface adjusted healthy controls (p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with multiple peripheral arterial aneurysms had significantly larger diameters of the brachial (p < 0.02) and external iliac (p < 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the hypothesis of a diathesis for a generalized arteriomegaly with a predilection for further aneurysms of the abdominal aorta, iliac arteries, femoral and contralateral popliteal arteries in patients with PAA.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland. matthias.widmer@insel.ch
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Widmer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blatter
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmidli
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gahl
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carrel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Savolainen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Diehm
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography