Swollen Forearm in an 11 year Old Nigerian Boy

Abstract

The diagnostic challenges in an 11 year old boy with a swollen forearm in a resource limited country, Nigeria, is discussed, with a brief review of literature of the causes of forearm swelling in a child and vascular malformations. This case is presented because of the rarity of arteriovenous malformation and the difficulty in making a diagnosis due to its low level of suspicion as a differential diagnosis. In this country where there is paucity of vascular surgeons, the challenges of management of arteriovenous malformations and the various imaging modalities are discussed.

KEY WORDS: Swollen forearm, Vascular malformation, Venography, Doppler scan, CT Angiography