Monday, February 27, 2012

Everything Has Its Place

A 25 year old man has a soccer injury and fractures the tibial diaphysis in his right leg. However, he doesn't have health insurance so he doesn't go to the emergency department immediately. Instead, he wraps his leg and hopes it will get better. Unfortunately it doesn't. In the next few hours, the pain rapidly worsens, spreading further than just the site of the initial injury. He describes this pain as deep aching associated with numbness and tingling. He finally goes to urgent care where passive range of motion causes pain. The skin has a tense woody feel. His sensation is diminished. He goes to surgery.


Challenge: What's your diagnosis?

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9 comments:

  1. Compartment Syndrome?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loge syndrome, Compartiment syndrome.

    ReplyDelete
  3. this case got record responses! nice job everyone
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    Everything Has Its Place

    This is acute compartment syndrome status post fasciotomy.

    Sources: UpToDate; Wikipedia.

    ReplyDelete

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