Abdominal apoplexy
| Abdominal apoplexy | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Spontaneous intra-abdominal hemorrhage |
| Treatment | Emergency surgery |
Abdominal apoplexy, also called spontaneous intra-abdominal hemorrhage or idiopathic spontaneous intraperitoneal hemorrhage (ISIH), is a surgical emergency.[1]
Causes
There are many causes of internal bleeding in the abdomen. They include vascular causes, primarily ruptured (torn) blood vessels. Examples of these include a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, or a rupture of any arterial visceral aneurysm (e.g., a torn hepatic artery) or varices associated with portal hypertension.[1]
Among women, bleeding can be caused by a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, by uterine rupture, and by various problems that cause the ovaries or the ovarian artery to start bleeding, including ovarian cancer and corpus luteum cysts.[1]
Inflammation, such as pancreatitis, spontaneous rupture of the spleen due to infectious mononucleosis, and polyarteritis nodosa can sometimes cause abdominal bleeding.[1]
Tumors, both benign and cancerous, can cause rupture and acute bleeding in the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, adrenal gland, and other organs.[1]
External causes of internal abdominal bleeding include the effects of anticoagulation therapy and physical trauma (e.g., from a fall, a car wreck, or a violent incident).[1]
Treatment
Treatment is abdominal surgery.[1]