Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Foot Caused by a Hemangioma

Abstract

Acute compartment syndrome is most commonly caused by trauma. Although it has been well described in adults, few have addressed this condition in the pediatric patient. The most common causes of acute compartment syndrome of the foot in children are crush syndromes with or without fractures. We present the case of an 8-year-old girl who had a congenital hemangioma on the second toe of her right foot, with persistent pain and swelling of her right lower extremity. On exploration, the limb was cold and swollen, and pulses were timidly palpable. She was admitted with a working diagnosis of cavernous hemangioma with a hematoma that affected the blood flow of the foot. After measuring the compartment pressures, acute compartment syndrome of the right foot was diagnosed and fasciotomy was performed. The current medical literature was reviewed for acute compartment syndromes secondary to hemangiomas. It appears that this could be a new complication of hemangiomas located in limbs with severe consequences if not detected in time.