With adventitial cystic disease, a cyst made of a mucous-like substance forms in an artery. This limits or blocks blood flow.
The condition is most common in the popliteal artery, which supplies blood to the:
Adventitial cystic disease is rare.
Its cause is unknown, but it's far more common in young to middle-aged males than in any other group. Men get this disease five times more often than women do.
If you have adventitial cystic disease, you may feel:
In most cases, the pain will slowly go away when you stop moving.
For most people, symptoms of adventitial cystic disease go away after a few weeks or months.
To diagnose adventitial cystic disease, your UPMC vascular surgeon will:
Tests that can confirm the location and size of the cyst include:
Treatment for adventitial cystic disease often includes surgery.
Your surgeon will remove the cyst and/or replace the section of the blood vessel where the cyst formed.
To make an appointment with a UPMC vascular surgeon: