Blood Work

The aneurysms that were detected behind each of Vice President Dick Cheney's knees during a routine checkup this summer are not necessarily anything to get alarmed about. An aneurysm is a ballooning of a blood vessel, similar to a bulge in an inner tube. You hear about it most often when it appears in the brain or heart, where, if it bursts, it is often fatal. But an aneurysm can show up anywhere in the body where there are blood vessels, including the popliteal artery that runs behind the knee.

Popliteal aneurysms don't usually burst and are safer than most. But...

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