Toe Tourniquet Syndrome

Abstract

Five infants seen in the general practice of pediatrics in a 3-year period are presented with an entity which might be called the toe tourniquet syndrome. Each infant who was wearing a leotard type of garment developed edema and inflammation of a toe distal to a constricting band of human hair or thread-like material. It is assumed that a combination of circumstances involving the design of the clothing and the variable response of the plantar reflex in this age group are factors in producing this potentially dangerous lesion.