Case Study of an Old Woman With Complain of Recurrent Abdominal Pain

The evaluation of acute abdominal pain must be efficient to prevent any delay in the treatment of patients, who are seriously ill, and over treatment of patients with self-limited disorders. One of the uncommon reasons that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain, especially among elderly patients, who are under anti-coagulation therapy, is abdominal wall hematoma.
The case was a 60-year-old female with abdominal pain in the left upper and lower quadrant, which was followed by a series of coughs. She was receiving subcutaneous heparin, which was then changed to warfarin. The patient also had an episode of similar pain, one month ago and was diagnosed as abdominal hematoma based on ultrasonography report. An abdominal CT scan showed a mass lesion and the patient was diagnosed as acute on chronic abdominal wall hematoma.
Anterior abdominal wall hematoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain among elderly patients, especially those who are under anti-coagulation therapy. Conservative treatment is conceivable in most cases and early diagnosis is compulsory to avoid morbidity or unnecessary surgery.