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Leech therapy in the treatment of median nerve compression due to forearm haematoma

¹ Department of Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, St James’s Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK; alexandra_murray@hotmail.com

Keywords: leech therapy; forearm haematoma

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Heckmann et al¹ describe a case of forearm compartment syndrome treated with leeches. A patient receiving anticoagulant drugs following radial arterial catheterisation complained of pain, swelling, and hardening of his forearm, with motor and sensory deficit of the hand. There was an increase in forearm girth. This patient was treated by application of 13 leeches to the volar aspect of the forearm. According to the report, the treatment was successful and at a three month follow up appointment there were no residual neurological signs.

In compartment syndrome, the only pertinent investigation is measurement of intracompartmental pressures. Effective treatment is surgical and any delay is potentially disastrous. The authors did not confirm their diagnosis by pressure measurements and their follow up evaluated median nerve function but not the integrity of the forearm muscles, which are most likely to be affected by a compartment syndrome. Leeches will not normally feed on stagnant . . . [Full text of this article]

J G Heckmann², M Dütsch², B Neundörfer², F Dütsch³, U Hartung³

² Department of Neurology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
³ Department of Cardiology, University, of Erlangen-Nuremberg