Femoral nerve dysfunction after retroperitoneal hemorrhage: pathophysiology revealed by computed tomography

In three patients receiving anticoagulation therapy who developed retroperitoneal hemorrhage computed tomography (CT) clearly localized the resulting hematoma in each case. Three distinct syndromes are described. A hemorrhage within the iliacus muscle resulted in femoral nerve dysfunction. A large hemorrhage within the iliacus muscle which extended into the psoas muscle produced both femoral and obturator nerve dysfunction. A retroperitoneal hemorrhage extrinsic to both the iliacus and psoas muscles did not produce peripheral nerve dysfunction. The pathophysiology of peripheral nerve dysfunction in retroperitoneal hemorrhage is reviewed in detail.