Life-threatening subcutaneous hemorrhage following minor blunt trauma in an elderly patient taking ticlopidine and aspirin: a case report

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization of a Gluteal Pseudoaneurysm Due to Ground-Level Fall in an Elderly Woman Taking Apixaban

A 90-year-old woman prescribed with apixaban was admitted to a hospital after a ground-level fall. She was transferred to our hospital for advanced evaluation and treatment. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a pseudoaneurysm inside the right gluteus maximus muscle. Angiography revealed an aneurysm of the peripheral branch of the inferior gluteal artery and multiple slight pseudoaneurysms of the peripheral branch of the internal iliac artery. We performed transcatheter arterial embolization using a gelatin sponge. After embolization, the hemoglobin stabilized. She was transferred to another hospital for rehabilitation. The use of direct oral anticoagulants in the elderly can lead to significant hemorrhage with minimal trauma. Transcatheter arterial embolization is a minimally invasive and safe procedure for such cases of trauma.

Tension subcutaneous haematomas associated with anticoagulants in the elderly: Do they have earlier morbidity and mortality than hip fractures?

INTRODUCTION

Complications related to anticoagulant therapy have been widely described, although tension haematomas in the extremities are frequently undervalued, and commonly considered banal pathologies.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Retrospective descriptive study between 2014 and 2017, including patients with limb haematomas after minimal trauma related with anticoagulant therapy, and surgically treated by Traumatology.

RESULTS

32 cases were eventually included, 81% were women, average age of 83.56 years, and a mean aCCI of 5.97. Anatomical location of haematomas was 65.6% in leg/foot, 15.6% in thigh/buttock, and 18.8% in the upper limb. Seventy-eight point thirteen percent received acenocoumarol, 15.63% LMWH, and 3.13% NOACs. Of the cases, 59.38% were due to AF, 15.63% to valvular heart disease/valve prosthesis, and 12.5% to PE/DVT. The mean time from diagnosis to surgical drainage was 2.66 days, mainly as a result of alterations in coagulation parameters. Forty-six point eighty-eight percent were reoperated for new drainage, cure or skin defect coverage, and 3 patients required embolisation. Of the patients, 78% needed consultation with other specialties. The average length of stay was 22.34 days, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 9.38%.

CONCLUSION

Tension haematomas in the extremities associated with anticoagulants occur in patients with multiple comorbidities that make them vulnerable. Surgical drainage is usually delayed by numerous factors which lead to skin defects that require further surgical operations, and prolonged hospital stays that are associated with medical complications. In our study, the average length of stay and in-hospital mortality rate were higher than those for hip fractures, so we should not underestimate this pathology.

Deep and superficial circumflex iliac arteries and their relationship to the ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block procedure: A cadaver study

The in-plane lateral to medial approach is a standard technique for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block (USG-FNB). The first bifurcation of the femoral artery, which consists of the deep artery of the thigh (DAT) or occasionally the lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA), is regarded as the distal border for this procedure. We sometimes detect arteries along the estimated needle trajectory for USG-FNB. The superficial (SCIA) and deep (DCIA) circumflex iliac arteries run laterally parallel to the inguinal ligament from the femoral or external iliac artery. The relationship between the SCIA and DCIA and other anatomical structures related to USG-FNB around the femoral triangle region was studied by gross anatomical examination of 100 formalin-fixed adult cadavers. At least one SCIA and one DCIA were identified around each femoral triangle; 81.8% of SCIA and 58% of DCIA originated from the femoral artery. All DCIA coursed between the fascia lata and fascia iliaca and 80% of SCIA penetrated the fascia lata. In 94% of femoral triangles, at least one arterial branch heading towards the lateral part of the thigh originated from the femoral artery from the level of the inguinal ligament to the first bifurcation of the femoral artery. The presence of SCIA and DCIA should be considered during USG-FNB using the in-plane lateral to medial approach to avoid inadvertently injuring them, as they are occasionally located along the presumed needle trajectory superficial to the fascia iliaca. Clin. Anat. 30:413-420, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An unusual case of a patient who presented with haemorrhagic shock following massive subcutaneous haematomas of the lower back due to blunt trauma

An 83-year-old woman with no significant medical history was transferred to our tertiary hospital after being hit by a car and presenting with haemorrhagic shock. Immediate fluid resuscitation was performed; physical, chest/pelvic X-ray and echographic examinations did not detect any major sources of bleeding. However, a contrast-enhanced CT scan revealed multiple regions of significant contrast extravasation in an extensive part of the subcutaneous tissue of the patient's lower back, which is an unusual source of bleeding. Transcatheter arterial embolisation of the lumbar and internal iliac arteries and their branches was carried out. In addition, haemostatic resuscitation was performed for damage control resuscitation, which successfully resolved the patient's haemorrhagic shock.

Life-threatening large subcutaneous hematoma after minor head trauma: A young female patient who was suspected of having new Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Life-threatening large subcutaneous hematomas after minor injury are rare clinical states for young people; however these patients may have hidden diseases, which can cause a tendency to bleed. A 31-year-old woman visited our hospital after minor injury. The first computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a small subcutaneous hematoma, but her head bulged and the second CT scan revealed her subcutaneous hematoma had become enlarged. Two surgeries were needed to stop the bleeding and. Though she received intensive care, she died 48 days after onset. The new Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS), known as EDS Kosho type (EDSKT), is a connective tissue disease, in which patients often experience large subcutaneous hematomas. We suspected our patient had EDSKT because her clinical features were compatible with this syndrome. Our findings support the notion that large subcutaneous hematomas in young patients with connective tissue disease can be fatal; a careful follow-up is required.

Intra-arterial treatment for massive subcutaneous hemorrhage in hemodialysis patients

The incidence of acute massive hemorrhage in hemodialysis (HD) patients is thought to be higher than in healthy individuals, and a large, expanding subcutaneous hematoma can result in necrosis of the overlying skin. We evaluated the efficacy of intra-arterial treatment for acute massive subcutaneous hemorrhage in HD patients. Seven HD patients with subcutaneous hemorrhage following minor blunt trauma were treated using superselective transarterial embolization, between July 2005 and October 2012. After examining the site of the hemorrhage using contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), embolizations were performed using microcoils, gelatin sponges, or N-butyl cyanoacrylate. Hematoma evacuation or skin grafting was performed as needed. Four men and three women with a mean age of 70 years (range, 63-82 years) comprised the study population. Sites of bleeding were as follows: lower leg (N = 3), upper leg (N = 1), buttock (N = 1), precordia (N = 1), and forearm (N = 1). Blood transfusions were administered to five cases. All patients were successfully salvaged using transarterial embolization. Six patients underwent hematoma evacuation after transarterial embolization, and two patients underwent split-thickness skin grafting for skin necrosis. We established a treatment strategy for HD patients with acute subcutaneous hemorrhage. Immediate confirmation of the site and the degree of bleeding with contrast-enhanced CT and early treatment using the transarterial embolization and as needed, hematoma evacuation are effective for preventing skin necrosis in HD patients with acute subcutaneous hemorrhage.

Seat belt injury to the inguinal region presenting with hemorrhagic shock

BACKGROUND

Seat belts uncommonly result in various injuries to the abdominal area, such as mesenteric tears, bowel perforations, and abdominal aortic ruptures. We describe a case of a massive subcutaneous hematoma causing hemorrhagic shock from significant lacerations to the inguinal region, related to the use of a seat belt.

OBJECTIVES

To describe a seat belt injury to the inguinal region that presented with a massive subcutaneous hematoma, and to speculate about the mechanism that caused the injury.

CASE REPORT

A 60-year-old woman, who was wearing a seat belt, was brought to our tertiary hospital Emergency Department after a head-on motor vehicle accident. The patient had vascular injury around the right inguinal region resulting in hemorrhagic shock. Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was successfully performed to stop the bleeding.

CONCLUSION

Seat belts can cause serious injury to the inguinal region, mainly due to shearing forces. In addition to gauze packing, TAE was used effectively to control the hemorrhage in this patient.

64 MDCT in multiple trauma patients: imaging manifestations and clinical implications of active extravasation

The finding of active hemorrhage on computed tomography (CT) in trauma patients has been shown to have significant clinical implications and has been incorporated into numerous CT grading schema. As CT technology has advanced, the sensitivity for detection of active hemorrhage in the trauma population has significantly improved. Currently, with the improved spatial and temporal resolution afforded by 64 multidetector computed tomography (64 MDCT) technology, the clinical implications of the CT findings of active extravasation may need to be reconsidered. This article illustrates the various imaging manifestations of active extravasation throughout the body using 64 MDCT. Additionally, protocol issues specific to the findings of active hemorrhage using 64 MDCT are detailed, including novel interpretation techniques, which offer aid in detecting and characterizing hemorrhage. Finally, the clinical implication of active extravasation using this new technology is discussed. Although more sensitive to the detection of small hemorrhagic foci and with clinical implications highly dependent upon location, active bleeding remains as a salient finding that affects subsequent clinical management of trauma patients.