Fatal rectus sheath hematoma
B. S. Ducatman, J. Ludwig and R. D. Hurt
Rectus sheath hematoma is an uncommon, often misdiagnosed, and usually
self-limited condition. In a recent review of autopsy cases at the Mayo
Clinic, Rochester, Minn, we found two patients in whom hemorrhages into the
rectus sheaths were considered the immediate cause of death and one in whom
the hemorrhage was considered a contributing cause of death. Rectus sheath
hematoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of an abdominal
mass of sudden onset, especially in patients who have been given
anticoagulants. The condition may be fatal if the volume of the hemorrhage
is large and if treatment is delayed.
