Rupture of a Popliteal Cyst Visualized by Radionuclide Venography and Confirmed by Radionuclide Arthrography

A 64-year-old woman had an acutely painful, swollen right calf. A Tc-99m labeled RBC venogram performed to rule out deep vein thrombosis in the right lower leg showed an area devoid of radioactivity in the medial posterior aspect of the right calf. Rupture of a popliteal cyst was suspected. A radionuclide arthrogram and subsequent surgery confirmed the diagnosis.