Neonatal Compartment Syndrome and Compound Presentation at Birth.

Abstract

Neonatal compartment syndrome is a rare condition. Early diagnosis and timely surgical intervention are paramount to optimize outcome. Time to fasciotomy is the most important prognostic factor. The purposes of this study were to describe a case presentation of neonatal compartment syndrome associated with a compound birth presentation and to perform a literature review. In this case, the neonate’s fingers were noted to be present on maternal cervical examination 24 hours before delivery. The patient then was noted to have a sentinel skin lesion. A diagnosis of neonatal compartment syndrome was suspected, and she underwent urgent fasciotomy. Literature review identified a total of 60 patients from 26 studies. Most patients were managed operatively. All patients presented with a sentinel skin lesion, emphasizing the importance of this clinical sign in diagnosis. Manometry is not routinely performed and no standards are available for acceptable pressure gradients.

Publication
Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online