Subcapsular hepatic hematoma as a complicating cardiac surgery

An 80-year-old woman was hospitalized for aortic valve insufficiency, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and ascending aortic aneurysm. She underwent aortic valve replacement, pulmonary vein isolation, left atrium appendectomy, and ascending aorta replacement. She developed a subcapsular hepatic hematoma during the surgery. The patient was managed conservatively and discharged successfully.

Subcapsular hepatic hematoma as a complication of severe preeclampsia: a case report

Background Subcapsular hepatic hematoma is a rare and life-threatening complication of pregnancy. It is most commonly associated with severe preeclampsia and hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets syndrome. Patients with subcapsular hepatic hematoma typically present with epigastric, right upper quadrant or shoulder pain, nausea and vomiting, and/or shortness of breath. Here we describe a patient with a classic pain presentation, a large unruptured hematoma, and an unusual postpartum course. Case A 40-year-old gravida 1 para 0 Caucasian woman presented at 39 + 6 weeks gestational age with a 3-day history of new onset pain in an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy. She described the pain along her right torso as severe, shooting, and sharp, but at times pleuritic in nature. She was found to have new onset preeclampsia and hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets syndrome. Induction of labor was initiated and eventually she delivered by cesarean section. Her pain persisted in the postpartum period and abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a 16 cm subcapsular hepatic hematoma. Despite the hematoma being thin walled, conservative management was recommended by the general surgeon. She then re-presented on postpartum day 15 with tachypnea, dyspnea, and pleuritic chest pain. Secondary to the subcapsular hepatic hematoma, she then developed an infected and loculated, large pleural effusion. This required video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery before her eventual discharge home on postpartum day 21. Conclusions There should be high clinical suspicion of subcapsular hepatic hematoma in patients with persistent pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Urgent imaging to investigate for subcapsular hepatic hematoma is then indicated. Cesarean delivery without labor and treatment for severe preeclampsia should be undertaken if subcapsular hepatic hematoma is found. Conservative management and serial imaging are reasonable for the follow-up of a large, unruptured hematoma. Hepatic artery embolization should also be considered. Subcapsular hepatic hematoma may be complicated by infected pleural effusions and require video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Subcapsular hepatic hematoma: a case of chronic expanding hematoma of the liver

Background A chronic expanding hematoma (CEH) enlarges as a result of slight bleeding over several months, and the tissue shows a mixture of blood breakdown products, granulation tissue with capillary ingrowth, and inflammatory tissue. This report presents a case of a subcapsular hepatic CEH that was treated with transarterial embolization (TAE) and hepatectomy. Case presentation A 56-year-old man presented with vomiting and right-sided abdominal pain. Plain abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed a high-density area of fluid collection beneath the capsule of the right hepatic lobe, which was diagnosed as a hematoma. From its anatomical position on the CT images, a subcapsular hepatic hematoma was diagnosed. Though conservative therapy was provided, CT-guided percutaneous drainage and TAE were performed due to worsening symptom. Because the patient's abdominal symptoms re-appeared, extended right segmentectomy including the hematoma was performed. In the resected specimen, the hematoma was located beneath the capsule of the right hepatic lobe, and it was displacing the hepatic parenchyma. Microscopic examination showed a thick fibrous capsule around the hematoma, peripheral lymphocyte and plasmacyte invasion, and aggregations of histiocytes containing phagocytosed hemosiderin. Conclusions Anatomically, this was a case of a subcapsular hepatic hematoma, and pathologically it was shown to be a CEH. Complete surgical resection was effective treatment for this CEH.

Ruptured subcapsular hepatic hematoma complicating severe preeclampsia with haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count syndrome: a case report

Subcapsular liver hematoma is rare complication of severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome, thus making it essential for these patients to be followed up in critical and intensive care units for advanced medical support with fluid and electrolyte management and replacement of blood products while treating underlying disorders. Treatment options have to be individualised and vary from conservative management to surgical treatment including hepatic resection, hepatic artery ligation, and liver transplantation. In this paper we report a case of ruptured hepatic hematoma in a 35 year old female, few hours within delivery, a complication of severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome