Abstract

FERREIRA, N  and  MARAIS, LC. Calcific myonecrosis following snakebite. SA orthop. j. [online]. 2017, vol.16, n.1, pp.28-31. ISSN 2309-8309.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2309-8309/2017/v16n1a3.

Calcific myonecrosis is a rare condition and is believed to be a late sequela of untreated compartment syndrome. Patients usually present with a progressively enlarging mass, years after the initial injury, that can be misdiagnosed as a soft tissue sarcoma. Calcific myonecrosis following snakebite is extremely rare. The anterior compartment of the leg is most frequently involved and appears to be especially vulnerable to developing this complication. Conservative management should be considered in asymptomatic patients but spontaneous soft tissue breakdown with sinus formation may develop and prolonged surveillance is advised. We report two similar cases of calcific myonecrosis of the anterior compartment of the lower leg that developed decades following snakebite.

Keywords : calcific myonecrosis; compartment syndrome; soft tissue calcification; snakebite.

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