Category: Visual Diagnosis
Posted: 4/7/2014 by Haney Mallemat, MD
(Emailed: 10/6/2024)
(Updated: 10/6/2024)
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23 year-old female presents complaining of progressive right lower quadrant pain after doing "vigorous" pushups. CT abdomen/pelvis below. What’s the diagnosis? (Hint: it’s not appendicitis)
Answer: Rectus sheath hematoma
Rectus Sheath Hematoma (RSH)
Rectus muscle tear causing damage to the superior or inferior epigastric arteries with subsequent bleeding into the rectus sheath; uncommon cause of abdominal pain but mimics almost any abdominal condition.
May occur spontaneously, but suspect with the following risk factors:
Typically a self-limiting condition, but hypovolemic shock may result from significant hematoma expansion.