Forearm compartment syndrome following intravenous thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke

Minor and major bleeding complications have occurred following thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke. However, compartment syndrome has not been reported among these incidences.

This article presents a case of a forearm compartment syndrome in a patient with stroke who had fallen at the time of the infarction and was treated with tissue plasminogen activator. We wish to forewarn clinicians who may encounter similar cases.

Patients suffering from stroke who fall are at risk of developing a compartment syndrome; the early diagnosis is often difficult, the sequelae can be devastating, and wrestling with the benefits and risks of reversing the coagulopathy in the acute phase of a cerebral infarction is a challenge.