Isolated tear of the tendon to the medial head of gastrocnemius presenting as a painless lump in the calf

We report on a case of isolated tear of the medial head of gastrocnemius tendon. The patient presented with a painless lump in the right calf and denied any prior history of trauma or strain to the leg. A longitudinal split of the tendon was demonstrated at ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ case reports 2009, Vol.2009 (may18 1), p.bcr0120091468-bcr0120091468
Main Authors: Watura, Christopher, Harries, William
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cysts
Europe (West)
Female
Fractures
Injuries
Medical imaging
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Pain
Patients
Thrombosis
Trauma
Ultrasonic imaging
Unusual Presentation of More Common Disease/Injury
Veins & arteries
White
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Summary:We report on a case of isolated tear of the medial head of gastrocnemius tendon. The patient presented with a painless lump in the right calf and denied any prior history of trauma or strain to the leg. A longitudinal split of the tendon was demonstrated at ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There were no other abnormalities and the gastrocnemius muscle was normal. There are no reports in the literature of isolated gastrocnemius tendon tear. To date the calf muscle complex injury described in this area is tearing of the medial head of gastrocnemius muscle, sometimes referred to as “tennis leg”. We conclude that an isolated tear of the tendon to the medial head of gastrocnemius should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a lump or swelling in the upper medial area of the calf and we recommend ultrasound or MRI as the investigations of choice.
ISSN:1757-790X
1757-790X
DOI:10.1136/bcr.01.2009.1468