[The hair-thread tourniquet syndrome of the toes and penis].

We present eight cases of the hair-thread tourniquet syndrome which affected the toes in 6 cases and presented strangulation of the penis in two. All patients were infants and the mechanism of injury was the strangulation by hair or thread wrapped around an appendage. Neither lesions were promptly recognized by their physicians and the patients were seen in the emergency room with swelling, erythema and a circumferential scar with the typical distal edema. The lesions had ischemic signs, but without tissue necrosis. All patients were treated by immediate removal of the constricting fibers and sometimes a simple vertical, short and deep incision over the area of strangulation, avoiding injury to tendons and digital nerves and vessels, was performed. The potential risk of amputation and the need for a premature diagnosis and treatment are stressed.