Idiopathic Compartment Syndrome of the Forearm

ABSTRACT

Compartment syndrome is caused by elevated pressure in a restricted compartment. It typically occurs after fractures of the extremities and usually has an acute clinical progression. Chronic compartment syndrome is another relatively well known form, typically associated with forceful exercise. Also, there are various reports of compartment syndrome not associated with typical causes. However, reports on compartment syndrome with unknown etiology are rare and there has been none in Korean literature. We report a case of compartment syndrome with no recognizable cause, hence classified as idiopathic.