Myositis ossificans mimicking compartment syndrome of the forearm.

Myositis ossificans is a benign disorder of heterotopic bone formation occurring in response to soft tissue trauma. It most commonly presents in young adults and children as a painful, enlarging mass of the arm or thigh. Since there is frequently no significant history of injury, the lesion may be mistaken for a malignant bone or soft tissue tumor or infection. This article presents a case of a child in whom myositis ossificans presented with local signs and symptoms suggestive of a rapidly progressive compartment syndrome following trauma.