CASE REPORT
Critical ischemia of the fingers in an auto mechanic as a result of occupational exposure
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1
Medical University in Wroclaw, Wrocław, Poland
(Department of Angiology, Hypertension and Diabetology)
2
Medical University in Wroclaw, Wrocław, Poland
(Department of Radiology, Institute of General Radiology, Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology)
Corresponding author
Maciej Rabczyński
Medical University in Wroclaw Department of Angiology, Hypertension and Diabetology, Borowska 213, 50-333 Wrocław,
Poland
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2015;28(1):169-73
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Hypothenar hammer syndrome is a rare cause of ischemic fingers observed mainly in young men smoking cigarettes and
it is associated with repeated trauma of the ulnar artery in the area of the hypothenar eminence of the dominant-hand
arm, resulting in a deficit of blood supply with the occurrence of hand symptoms typical for chronic and sometimes critical
ischemia. Artery injury in this location is most often the result of multiple repetitions of the same activity being mostly the
result of occupational exposure. We present a case of a 27-year-old car mechanic admitted to the hospital with symptoms of
critical ischemia of the fingers III, IV, and V of the right hand, which resolved after conservative treatment.