Anterior tibial compartment syndrome associated with ergotamine ingestion.

This is the first reported case of acute anterior tibial compartment syndrome following ergotamine tartrate overdosage. A 25-year-old man developed signs and symptoms of ergotism after ingestion of 72 mg of ergotamine tartrate over the 12 days prior to his hospital admission. On the fourth hospital day, the patient developed bilateral anterior tibial compartment syndrome. The development of this syndrome is postulated to have been due to the progressive edema and tissue pressure in the anterior tibial compartments, worsened by the gradual improvement of the peripheral circulation which followed the diminished vasopastic effect of the ergotamine.