IRAS data on compact groups of galaxies (CGs) indicate a
 moderate far infrared enhancement in these systems. This
 result would support the common interpretation of groups as
 bound dynamical entities in which interactions and mergers
 play a major role in galaxy evolution. However, this result
 remains controversial because the low resolution of the IRAS
 data makes it difficult to decide if the contribution to the
 FIR flux comes from one or more galaxies in the beam.
 The high resolution imaging provided by ISOCAM, together with
 its good sensitivity in the band chosen (LW10), will enable us
 to ascertain whether or not a FIR enhancement is present in
 compact groups. The answer to this question will have far
 reaching consequences. If FIR enhancement in compact groups
 is confirmed, this will be one of the cleanest arguments
 in favour of the physical reality of these objects, which is
 a topic of current debate. If FIR enhancement is not present,
 we must either conclude that compact groups are mostly chance
 optical alignments, or that the time scale and extent of
 galaxy interactions differs substantially from current
 expectations.