par De Backer, C.;Mrzyglod, Elsa ![](/vufind/images/ULB/publications_list.png)
Référence Revue médicale de Bruxelles, 43, 1, page (53-57)
Publication Publié, 2022-01-01
![](/vufind/images/ULB/publications_list.png)
Référence Revue médicale de Bruxelles, 43, 1, page (53-57)
Publication Publié, 2022-01-01
Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : | « Tennis Leg » is a common cause of calf pain, which can imitate a lower extremity vein thrombosis. It is a muscular injury caused by an acute rupture of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle, usually at its distal musculotendinous junction region. Most of the time, the mechanism is intrinsic, often seen when there is a violent dorsiflexion of the ankle or in sports which require quick starts and stops. The difficulty to walk and the hematoma depend on the severity of the muscular injury. The purpose of this article is to remind this clinic entity to the professionals and its differential diagnosis, including the lower extremity vein thrombosis, which can be clinically similar. The adequate medical care allows to achieve optimal recovery and to avoid complications. We report a case of a 50-year-old male seen at the emergency department presenting an acute pain in the left calf, which was diagnosed as venous thrombosis and treated by an anticoagulant therapy. The diagnosis is then reassessed due to worsening symptoms and a severe muscular injury of the gastrocnemius is established (appearance of a macroscopic hematoma), indicating a poor functional prognosis. An attention to the lesional mechanism and a good clinical examination are essentials in order to diagnose a tennis leg. |