Overview
A popliteal aneurysm is a ballooned-out part of your popliteal artery, which is behind your knee. Half of the people with popliteal aneurysms will have them in both legs.
Popliteal aneurysms can cause issues if they burst (rupture), send a clot down your leg (embolize) or block artery flow (thrombose). Some people can lose their legs or even their lives when this condition takes a turn for the worse.
How common are they?
Popliteal aneurysms happen in 1 in 100,000 people assigned female at birth (AFAB) and 7 in 100,000 people assigned male at birth (AMAB).
Popliteal aneurysms aren’t common, but they’re second only to abdominal aortic aneurysms (the most common kind of aneurysm). These two are related, and nearly half of people with a popliteal aneurysm will also have an abdominal aortic aneurysm. So if a provider finds either aneurysm, it’s important to look for the other.
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