Abstract
BackgroundParavertebral compartment syndrome occurring without trauma is quite rare. We report a case of compartment syndrome that occurred after spinal exercises.Case presentationA 23-year-old Japanese rower developed severe back pain and was unable to move 1 day after performing exercises for the spinal muscles. Initial evaluation at a nearby hospital revealed hematuria and elevated creatine phosphokinase levels. He was transferred to our hospital, where magnetic resonance imaging revealed no hematoma but confirmed edema in the paravertebral muscles. The compartment pressure measurements were elevated bilaterally. Despite his pain being severe, his creatine phosphokinase levels were expected to peak and decline; his urine output was normal; and surgery was undesirable. Therefore, we opted for conservative management. The next day, the patient’s compartment pressure diminished, and his pain levels decreased to 2/10. After 5 days, he was able to walk without medication.ConclusionsWe present a rare case of compartment syndrome of the paravertebral muscles with good resolution following conservative management. We hope our case findings will help avoid unnecessary surgery in cases of paravertebral compartment syndrome.
Highlights
Paravertebral compartment syndrome occurring without trauma is quite rare
Paravertebral compartment syndrome has been reported without local trauma in a few cases [2, 3]
Paravertebral compartment pressure has been shown to be affected by posture, the valsalva maneuver, and trunk
Summary
Paravertebral compartment syndrome occurring without trauma is quite rare. We report a case of compartment syndrome that occurred after spinal exercises.Case presentation: A 23-year-old Japanese rower developed severe back pain and was unable to move 1 day after performing exercises for the spinal muscles. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed edematous lesions in the erector spinae muscles and low-intensity regions in the lumbar multifidus, there were no clear findings that indicated muscle necrosis (Fig. 2).
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