Superinfection of Posttraumatic Retroperitoneal Hematoma Secondary to Ascending Urinary Tract Infection

Successful minimally invasive surgery for postpartum retroperitoneal hematoma complicated by an infection: Two case reports

Introduction

and importance Postpartum retroperitoneal hematoma is a birth canal injury that is difficult to diagnose because of its invisibility. Secondary infections of these hematomas are rare, and their diagnostic and management strategies have not been fully elucidated. We present two cases of postpartum retroperitoneal hematomas with infection, which were successfully treated with minimally invasive surgery.

Case presentation

Case 1 was of a 2X-year-old woman who presented with complaints of fever; a provisional diagnosis of chorioamnionitis and Streptococcus pyogenes-induced sepsis was made. Case 2 was of a 3X-year-old woman who underwent uterine artery embolization and manual removal of the placenta for suspected placenta accreta. Both cases were diagnosed with adnexal hematomas, and antibiotic therapy failed in both patients. Therefore, we performed exploratory laparoscopy and made a diagnosis of retroperitoneal hematomas with infection; laparoscopic drainage resulted in rapid resolution of the clinical symptoms and abnormal blood test results.

Clinical discussion

Once an abscess develops, antibiotic treatment has a limited effect, and surgical drainage should be performed. Management of retroperitoneal hematomas is difficult, especially when complicated by an infection.

Conclusion

Minimally invasive procedures involving laparoscopy could be beneficial for the management of postpartum retroperitoneal hematomas complicated by an infection.

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Postpartum retroperitoneal hematoma is difficult to diagnose.

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Secondary infections of these hematomas are rare.

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The diagnosis and management strategies have not been fully elucidated.

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Management of retroperitoneal hematomas complicated by infection is challenging.

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Laparoscopy helps manage postpartum retroperitoneal hematomas with infection.

Regarding the possibility of anterior vascular injury from the posterior approach to the lumbar disc space: an anatomical study

STUDY DESIGN

Anatomical study with magnetic resonance imaging data.

OBJECTIVE

To document the distances between the major retroperitoneal vessels and the anterior lumbar disc spaces; to determine the effect of patient positioning on these relationships; and to discuss ways to deal with vascular injury.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

It is well known that there are major vascular structures anterior to the lower lumbar spine. Vascular injury during posterior approaches, however, remains a problem. These anatomical relationships have not been determined in vivo, and there are no data on the effect of turning the patient prone, and onto bolsters.

METHODS

A random sampling of 49 women and 48 men was made. All examinations were performed in magnetic resonance scanners operating at 1.5 T. Measurements were made using electronic calipers on axial T2-weighted images. Post hoc studies were done on a smaller number of patients, to determine the effect of prone positioning.

RESULTS

At the L4-L5 level, 66% of the common iliac arteries in women and 49% of those in men were within 5 mm of the anterior aspect of the disc space. At L5-S1, these numbers dropped to 23% for women and 19% for men. No relationship between the age of the patient and the distance from disc space to blood vessel was found. There was little change in these measurements between the supine and prone positions. The use of bolsters to decompress the abdominal contents in the prone position did not significantly alter the disc-artery distances. Venous relationships were also documented.

CONCLUSION

The lower lumbar spine is confirmed to frequently be very close to the major retroperitoneal vessels. Turning the patient prone and placing the patient on bolsters does not change this relationship. This is part of the reason why vascular injuries may occur during routine lumbar spine surgery. Spine surgeons should be able to recognize and initiate treatment of such injuries.

Prolonged fever following kidney biopsy: a case report

This case report describes a patient with prolonged fever following a kidney biopsy. Workup disclosed a large perirenal and retroperitoneal hematoma. Neither imaging nor blood cultures supported an infective cause of his fever. Although the patient was initially treated with antibiotics, fever eventually resolved spontaneously. A review of the literature is provided addressing the association of fever with resorption of hematoma. Fever should be added to the list of potential complications of kidney biopsy. A conservative management is advocated.

Spontaneous rupture of splenic vein in a pregnant woman during a religious ritual

The treatment of retroperitoneal hemorrhage can be by surgical or a conservative approach but the main problems about these cases are difficulty in diagnosis due to negative results after abdominal lavage and the difficulties in accessing the retroperitoneal area surgically. Retroperitoneal hemorrhage during pregnancy, occurring as a result of spontaneous rupture, is very rare event. Such cases require urgent operation and if not, result in high mortality. A twenty-eight year old pregnant woman was admitted to the hospital dead after collapsing at home during a religious ritual. No systemic or gynecological pathology had been diagnosed. No traumatic injury on her body was found at early postmortem examination. The pathologic findings found at the autopsy are; approximately 2.5 L of coagulated blood in the retroperitoneal region and 10-12 cm of haematoma at the hilum of spleen; dissection revealed a tear of 0.5 cm on lienal vein at a point 3 cm from the hilum. Surgical approach is the most important procedure for diagnosis and therapy of the bleeding. Autopsy may be only diagnostic technique in the case of retroperitoneal hemorrhage death when the death is so rapid that there is no time to intervene surgically.