Papers of the Week

A 16 years old girl presented with gradual foot pain after running 2 kilometers. Conservative treatment that consisted of rest and high dose of analgesia had no effect. An MRI scan revealed a partial tear of the abductor hallucis muscle with diffuse edema in the compartment. Under general anesthesia compartmental pressure was measured. The involved compartment's pressure was 130 mm/hg while the contralateral foot measured 10 mm/hg. Immediate fasciotomy was performed with instant pain relief. No analgesics were needed following surgery. Compartment syndrome usually develops following trauma. In unusual cases the syndrome can appear due to other causes, such as muscle tear and present with different clinical signs and rates of presentation. Exertional compartment syndrome presents in the pediatric population, but can rarely present in the foot. High clinical suspicion and awareness can help the diagnosis in challenging cases.