Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc
September 1, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Vascular Abnormalities in Athletes: State-of-the-Art Multimodality Imaging.
Saeedipour S, Parakh A, Bjanarson H, Allison TG, Rajiah PS.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
Vascular conditions in athletes, from effort thrombosis to popliteal entrapment and coronary anomalies, can mimic musculoskeletal injury, and multimodality imaging is key to timely diagnosis.
What was studied
Narrative review of vascular abnormalities in athletes and the roles of ultrasound, CT angiography, MR angiography and conventional angiography.
Key findings
- Upper extremity: Paget-Schroetter syndrome, quadrilateral space syndrome, palmar arch injury, digital ischemia
- Lower extremity: arterial thromboembolism, external iliac endofibrosis/dissection, adductor canal syndrome, chronic exertional compartment syndrome, popliteal entrapment, cystic adventitial disease
- Other: VTE, median arcuate ligament compression, aortopathies, coronary anomalies and disease, high-flow priapism
- Presentations range from exertional discomfort to limb-threatening ischemia or sudden death
Clinical relevance
This supports considering vascular causes when athletes have exertional limb symptoms not explained by musculoskeletal injury, and referring for targeted vascular imaging.
Who should care
Limitations
Narrative review without new data.
In athletes with unexplained exertional limb pain, think vascular, not just musculoskeletal.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Vascular abnormalities in athletes, although less common than musculoskeletal injuries, present a significant diagnostic challenge due to overlapping manifestations. These conditions range from subtle exertional discomfort to potentially limb-threatening ischemia and life-threatening complications such as pulmonary embolism or sudden cardiac death. In this comprehensive review, the authors highlight the spectrum of vascular abnormalities encountered in athletes, emphasizing the pivotal role of multimodality imaging, including US, CT angiography, MR angiography, and conventional angiography in their accurate diagnosis and effective management. They discuss upper extremity conditions such as Paget-Schroetter syndrome, quadrilateral space syndrome, palmar arch injury, and digital ischemia. Lower extremity conditions discussed include arterial thromboembolism, external iliac artery endofibrosis and dissection, adductor canal syndrome, chronic exertional compartment syndrome, popliteal entrapment syndromes, venous insufficiency, and cystic adventitial disease. Other conditions discussed include venous thromboembolism, median arcuate ligament compression, aortopathies, pulmonary hypertension, Bezold-Jarisch reflex, coronary artery disease, coronary anomalies, and high-flow priapism. The authors aim to equip radiologists with essential knowledge to promptly recognize these conditions, thereby facilitating early intervention and improved outcomes. ©RSNA, 2026 Supplemental material is available for this article. See the invited commentary by Nagpal and Bluemke in this issue.
Vascular abnormalities in athletes, although less common than musculoskeletal injuries, present a significant diagnostic challenge due to overlapping manifestations. These conditions range from subtle exertional discomfort to potentially limb-threatening ischemia and life-threatening complications such as pulmonary embolism or sudden cardiac death. In this comprehensive review, the authors highlight the spectrum of vascular abnormalities encountered in athletes, emphasizing the pivotal role of multimodality imaging, including US, CT angiography, MR angiography, and conventional angiography in their accurate diagnosis and effective management. They discuss upper extremity conditions such as Paget-Schroetter syndrome, quadrilateral space syndrome, palmar arch injury, and digital ischemia. Lower extremity conditions discussed include arterial thromboembolism, external iliac artery endofibrosis and dissection, adductor canal syndrome, chronic exertional compartment syndrome, popliteal entrapment syndromes, venous insufficiency, and cystic adventitial disease. Other conditions discussed include venous thromboembolism, median arcuate ligament compression, aortopathies, pulmonary hypertension, Bezold-Jarisch reflex, coronary artery disease, coronary anomalies, and high-flow priapism. The authors aim to equip radiologists with essential knowledge to promptly recognize these conditions, thereby facilitating early intervention and improved outcomes. ©RSNA, 2026 Supplemental material is available for this article. See the invited commentary by Nagpal and Bluemke in this issue.
DOI
10.1148/rg.250110
PMID
42560828
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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