Tourniquet syndrome?accident or abuse?

Abstract

the tourniquet syndrome in childhood should be included in the list of possible forms of child abuse and should be considered as a differential diagnosis until another aetiology can be convincingly proven.

Fixed violaceous fingertips in a young girl with anxious hair twirling habit

“…Non-accidental causes of cyanosis due to tourniquet syndrome in youth are typically attributed to child abuse [1]. Involvement of more than one digit is typically associated with intentional causes [2].…”

Hair tourniquet syndrome of the labium minora in an 11-year-old girl: A case report

“…Several organs may be damaged by strangulation via a hair thread or strings of hair, causing ischemia and necrosis. A hair thread may wrap around appendages such as fi ngers, toes, the penis, clitoris, and Dae Hyung Lee, et al Hair tourniquet syndrome of the labium minora labium and strangulate these appendages in infants and children [1,2,5,6]. The condition may cause pain, edema, and ischemic necrosis, and may at worst lead to amputation [1,3,4].…”

“…Therefore, this condition requires prompt recognition and treatment to ensure viability of the affected appendages. Hair tourniquet syndrome is uncommon in general, but this syndrome has been described in detail in the literature, including sporadic case reports [1][2][3][4]7,8]. Guillimeau fi rst described tissue strangulation by a thread of hair in 1612, and the first documented report on hair tourniquet syndrome was published in the Lancet in 1832 [5,6].…”

“…The differential diagnosis of labial hair tourniquet syndrome includes infl ammation, allergy, trauma, and sexual abuse [3]. Because labial tourniquet syndrome can result from child abuse, this association should always be excluded fi rst [1,2,4]. Thus, a careful history is required to ensure accurate diagnosis.…”

“…Guillimeau fi rst described tissue strangulation by a thread of hair in 1612 [1,2], and the fi rst documented report of the condition was published in the Lancet in 1832. However, no such report has been published in Korea.…”