In patients with a chronic compartment syndrome, the affected (anterior) compartment shows a statistically significant increase in (T2-weighted) signal intensity during exercise compared with both the (superficial) posterior compartment and the anterior compartment of normal controls. This effect disappeared after fasciotomy. In view of the substantial increase in T2-weighted signal intensity, MRI can be used in diagnosing chronic compartment syndrome.

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Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the implication of clinical findings of vascular injury and routinely employing angiography in patients who sustained a gunshot to the neck. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively studied the demographics, bullet tract, clinical findings, diagnostic investigations, methods of treatment, outcome, and time in hospital of 70 patients who sustained a gunshot to the neck and who all underwent angiography. Results: In nine cases angiography revealed lesions to the common carotid artery (four patients), internal carotid artery (three patients), vertebral artery (one patient), and lingual artery (one patient). Physical examination had already indicated vascular damage in seven of these patients with findings such as expanding hematoma (four patients), absent carotid pulsations (two patients), bruit (one patient), and hypovolemic shock (one patient). Subsequently, these seven patients were treated operatively by performing elective neck exploration. Of these seven patients who underwent surgical repair, vascular damage was already suspected based on physical examination. The two patients with injury on angiography without clinical evidence did not deteriorate on conservative management. Conclusions: Careful clinical assessment proves to be a useful instrument in determining the necessity of surgical exploration. In our experience in 70 patients, the results of angiography did not alter the management of the patients who sustained a gunshot to the neck.Our results on conservative management with selective angiography indicate that morbidity and mortality of unnecessary neck explorations are avoided without increased risk.