Warfarin-induced spontaneous intramural small bowel hematoma presenting as an acute abdomen: A case report.

RATIONALE: Spontaneous intramural small-bowel hematoma (SISBH) is a rare complication of anticoagulation therapy. Presentation of SISBH can vary from mild abdominal pain to an acute abdomen. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 70-year-old woman was brought to the emergency department because of severe abdominal pain for 1 day. She had a medical history of coronary artery disease and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and was receiving anticoagulation therapy with warfarin for 3 years. DIAGNOSIS: Computed tomography disclosed disproportional dilatation of the segmental small bowel and near-total obstruction of the intestinal lumen at the level of the jejunum, indicating an acute abdomen. INTERVENTIONS: We performed laparoscopic exploration and found a segmental distal jejunum was tense, heavy, firm, and discolored with a blue hue. Histopathological examination of the resected jejunum revealed diffuse hemorrhage and necrosis at the mucosa and submucosal layers, indicating SISBH. OUTCOMES: The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged in a relatively stable condition. LESSONS: Warfarin-induced SISBH presenting as an acute abdomen is an emergency condition that needs early diagnosis and timely management. Surgical intervention may be indicated for intestinal obstruction, ischemia, perforation, peritonitis, and intra-abdominal hemorrhage.

Patients with uterine leiomyoma exhibit a high incidence but low mortality rate for breast cancer.

The association of uterine leiomyoma with increased risk of breast cancer is controversial. Therefore, we used the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to examine breast cancer incidence and mortality among Asian patients with and without uterine leiomyoma. We compared breast cancer incidence and mortality between 22,001 newly diagnosed uterine leiomyoma patients and 85,356 individuals without uterine leiomyoma matched by age and date of diagnosis. Adjusted hazard ratios for breast cancer were estimated using the Cox model. The incidence of breast cancer was 35% higher in the uterine leiomyoma group than the leiomyoma-free group (1.65 vs. 1.22 per 1,000 individuals, p < 0.001), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.31 (95% confidence interval = 1.13-1.52). Interestingly, overall mortality was lower (4.12%) in the uterine leiomyoma group (mean followed time, 3.59 ± 2.70 years) than the leiomyoma-free group (8.78%; mean followed time, 3.54 ± 2.67 years) at the endpoint of the study (p <0.05). These findings indicate the incidence of breast cancer is higher in patients with uterine leiomyoma than in those without it, but overall mortality from breast cancer was lower in the patients with uterine leiomyoma.

Laparoscopic appendectomy versus open appendectomy in pregnancy: a population-based analysis of maternal outcome.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is the standard treatment of acute appendicitis for the general population; however, there is still some doubt regarding its safety for pregnant patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the maternal outcome of pregnant patients with acute appendicitis following either an open appendectomy (OA) or LA from a population-based database. METHODS: This study is based on the National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients with both ICD-9-CM codes for appendicitis (540.9, 540.0, and 540.1) and pregnancy (V22) in the same admission were considered to have acute appendicitis during pregnancy. These patients were divided into three groups according to the type of treatment: LA, OA, and non-operative treatment. Outcome measures that were compared between the groups included maternal complications such as preterm labor, abortion, and the need of cesarean section. Besides, the differences of medical expenditure and length of hospital stay between the groups were also analyzed. RESULTS: From 2005 to 2010, a total of 859 pregnant women who had acute appendicitis were identified. They had increased risks for preterm labor, abortion, and increased requirement of cesarean section compared to the control group (i.e., those without acute appendicitis). Among the three groups, the non-operated group has the highest risk of preterm labor. Patients who underwent LA did not have any increased risk of maternal complications compared to the OA group. Furthermore, LA patients had shorter hospital stay than OA. CONCLUSION: Compared to non-operative treatment, appendectomy is the preferred treatment for pregnant patients who have acute appendicitis. LA can be performed safely in pregnant patients without bringing additional maternal complications compared to OA.