title: Femoral nerve dysfunction after retroperitoneal hemorrhage: pathophysiology revealed by computed tomography.
abstract: 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.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005267:Femoral Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006406:Hematoma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed