Lessons learned in the challenging case of evolving compartment syndrome with atypical presentation (original) (raw)

Bilateral Compartment Syndrome in Intravenous Drug Abuse

Cureus

Compartment syndrome is an orthopedic emergency in which the neurovasculature of the extremity is compromised. Typically, it presents unilaterally and is the consequence of major trauma to the extremity in the form of fracture. However, more uncommon etiologies of compartment syndrome have been reported, which includes reperfusion injury, burns, and congenital or acquired bleeding disorders. We present an extremely rare case of bilateral posterior thigh compartment syndrome thought to be due to intravenous drug abuse (IVDA) causing prolonged ischemia with subsequent reperfusion. This case is particularly relevant in today's clinical setting given the current opioid epidemic and subsequent rise in intravenous drug use.

Compartment syndrome as a result of incorrect treatment

Journal of Emergency Practice and Trauma, 2018

Compartment syndrome is a rare vascular disorder and an orthopedic emergency caused by high intramuscular pressure following bone fractures and some other etiologies. It mostly involves extremities, but can affect other parts of the body. The syndrome is diagnosed based on extensively varying signs and symptoms including feeling pain, pallor, pulselessness, and some other signs among patients. It causes irreversible complications that may even lead to death in some cases. If not treated promptly, muscle and nerve necrosis, myoglobinuria, and ultimately extremity gangrene and renal failure may occur. Timely diagnosis requires close attention to patient’s signs and symptoms and repeated measurements of pressure in the compartment. The reported case was an 11-year-old girl suffering from a closed double fracture in her forearm following blunt trauma. Inappropriate treatment done by a local therapist resulted in compartment syndrome. The aim of this study was to obtain an accurate knowl...

Compartment syndrome: an unusual course for a rare disease

The American journal of tropical …, 2005

We report a case of compartment syndrome of the left upper limb following hemorrhage due to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in a 45-year-old man. As far as we know, there is not such a report in the literature. We discuss clinical manifestations, electrophysiologic findings, differential diagnosis, and management of the patient. A high degree of awareness for an early diagnosis may participate to improve the poor prognosis.

Unidentified Recurrent Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Right Upper Limb

Cureus, 2022

Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a surgical emergency that requires urgent fasciotomy to prevent irreversible sequelae. Symptoms usually include intense pain, tenderness in the affected area, tingling or burning sensation, and in severe cases, numbness or weakness and limb amputation due to ischemia from compression of the blood vessels, respectively. This case report describes a 19-year-old female who presented with complaints of severe pain and swelling in her right forearm. On examination, no bite marks, blisters, or skin necrosis were noted except for several surgical scars from her previous surgeries for the same condition, i.e., compartment syndrome. Upon thorough examination, including relevant investigation and clinical judgment, she was diagnosed with acute compartment syndrome, for which she underwent fasciotomy. There was no basic underlying pathology found in her case, making it an unidentified case of acute compartment syndrome.

Compartmental Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review

Journal of Trauma & Treatment, 2014

Compartment syndrome was first described by Malgaigne, and the first medical publication was that of Volkmann [1] in 1881 which used the term "ischemic contracture". Acute Compartment Syndrome (ACS) is defined as "a condition in which increased pressure within a limited space compromises the circulation and function of the tissues in that space" [2]. Under this definition one can include also such conditions as expanding subdural hematoma, tension pneumothorax, some cases of intestinal obstructions and closed angle glaucoma; although in this article we will only discuss acute compartment syndrome of the extremities. Etiology ACS of the extremities is most commonly seen following injuries to the leg and forearm (40% caused by tibial shaft fractures and 18% by forearm fractures), but can also occur in the arm, foot, thigh, buttock, hand and lumbar paraspinous muscles. This article was originally published in a special issue, Trauma Injury and Orthopaedic Surgery handled by Editor(s). Dr.

Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Hand: A Case Report and Overview

Journal of Medical Science And clinical Research

Acute compartment syndrome of the hand is a rare pathological condition in which the size of the compartments of the hand could be decreased or the volume of the fluid intro compartment could be increased, or both. This urgent condition, if remains undiagnostic, produce irreversible changes (which are strong related to elapsed time) and may leading to amputation or to threatening life of the patients. Most common causes presented in literature are traumatic (crush injuries, burns, closed fractures), medical (infection, bleeding disorders), iatrogenic (intravenous infiltration, arthroscopy) and vascular (arterial puncture or catheterization, venous occlusion). The purpose of this study is bimodal. Firstly, to present a 34 year-old male who, after a traffic accident, presented with open diaphyseal fractures IIIA of the left 2nd and 3rd metacarpals and a Bennett fracture of the thumb and who developed an acute compartment syndrome. Secondly, to develop a sense of suspicion of this kind of lesions in physicians in the emergency department with scope to the precocious diagnosis and treatment.

Compartment syndrome: a unique presentation

2008

Compartment syndrome is a potentially limb- and life-threatening clinical entity resulting from elevated intra-compartmental pressures. A high clinical suspicion is paramount in diagnosis since full recovery is time-sensitive. We present a unique case of chronic myelomonocytic leukemiainduced (CMML) compartment syndrome which illustrates the importance of quick diagnosis and treatment.

A Case of Compartment Syndrome in the Hand Secondary to Intravenous Fluid Application

Turkish Journal of Anesthesia and Reanimation, 2015

Compartment syndrome of the extremities is a rare but potentially devastating condition. Anaesthetic and analgesic drugs used in the perioperative period may cause a delayed diagnosis by preventing the symptoms from appearing, and irreversible complications can occur. In this report, a case of compartment syndrome secondary to vascular access and its treatment in a morbidly obese patient who underwent abdominoplasty was presented.

Prevalence of Acute Compartment Syndrome of Limbs: A Retrospective Study

Journal of Armed Forces Medical College, Bangladesh, 2020

Introduction: Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a serious and well known complication of limb trauma. This condition is an orthopaedic emergency and is associated with significant morbidity if not diagnosed promptly and treated effectively. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective cross sectional study on the scope of compartment syndrome among patients with limbs traumas those were treated between April 2015 and November 2018 in a United Nations level-II Hospital at Kaga-Bandoro in Central African Republic leaded by Bangladesh Medical Contingent. The medical records as well as data from the orthopaedic registrars of patients with limb injuries were studied. Limb injuries considered for in-hospital treatments with or without other associated system injuries were included while patients with any form of arterial diseases or claudication were excluded. Results: A total of 320 patients met the inclusion criteria among them only 2.81% had ACS and male young adults were mostly af...