Open AccessVomiting-induced short gastric artery apoplexy
Author(s) -
Trishna Shimpi,
Sumer N. Shikhare,
Darren Yl Chan,
Wilfred C. G. Peh,
Ashish Chawla
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
bjr case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2055-7159
DOI - 10.1259/bjrcr.20150216
Subject(s) - medicine , vomiting , exploratory laparotomy , abdominal pain , surgery , emergency department , laparotomy , artery , presentation (obstetrics) , anesthesia , radiology , psychiatry
Abdominal apoplexy due to short gastric artery rupture following vomiting is an exceedingly rare condition. It results from non-traumatic and non-iatrogenic causes. This entity has variable clinical presentation and patients usually present with non-specific abdominal pain. Imaging plays a vital role in early diagnosis, as immediate exploratory laparotomy is the treatment of choice for successful outcome and helps to reduce mortality rate. We report the case of a 27-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency department with acute-onset abdominal pain after multiple episodes of vomiting following binge alcohol drinking. Contrast-enhanced CT revealed intraperitoneal haemorrhage secondary to vessel rupture, probably from a short gastric artery. Intraoperatively, the short gastric artery was identified as the bleeding source and ligated. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course.