Spontaneous uterine perforation secondary to uterine leiomyosarcoma presenting as acute abdomen with haemoperitoneum

Ruptured Degenerating Fibroid Causing Preterm Labour and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

BACKGROUND

Fibroids are present in at least 10% of pregnancies and are recognized to cause a variety of complications. A few case reports have described fibroids as an etiological factor in uterine rupture, sometimes with life-threatening hemorrhage.

CASE

A 28-year-old G1, P0 woman at 20 weeks gestation developed systemic inflammatory response syndrome with acute renal failure and massive ascites secondary to a ruptured degenerated fibroid. This resulted in preterm delivery and neonatal death. At 6 weeks postpartum, she successfully underwent an abdominal myomectomy.

CONCLUSION

This is a rare case of uterine fibroid rupture causing preterm labour and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. This report discusses the diagnosis of uterine rupture related to the fibroid with imaging and subsequent management, which included fertility-preserving surgery.

Hypovolaemic shock due to intra-abdominal haemorrhage from multiple uterine fibroids

Intra-abdominal bleeding due to uterine fibroids is extremely rare, and preoperative diagnosis is difficult. Herein, we report a case of preoperatively diagnosed hypovolaemic shock due to intra-abdominal haemorrhage, in which fatal sequelae were prevented. A 46-year-old non-pregnant woman was brought to the hospital with a sudden-onset lower abdominal pain. On admission, she was in shock, and abdominal CT showed severe intra-abdominal haemorrhage. Since bleeding from uterine fibroids was suspected, an emergency simple total hysterectomy was performed, and her condition became stable after the operation. Intra-abdominal haemorrhage with hypovolaemic shock requires prompt surgical intervention. Although it occurs very rarely due to bleeding from uterine fibroids, imaging shows large fibroids; if the patient is not pregnant, bleeding from the fibroids should be considered.

Hypovolemic Shock and Hemoperitoneum from Spontaneous Avulsion of a Large Pedunculated Uterine Leiomyoma

Hemoperitoneum with hypovolemic shock from avulsion of a pedunculated leiomyoma is a rare but highly fatal condition that can occur spontaneously or as a result of trauma. We report a case of hemoperitoneum and hypovolemic shock secondary to a bleeding leiomyoma detected via computed tomography (CT) scan in a 39 year old premenopausal, gravida 0 female that presented with abdominal pain and became hemodynamically unstable in the emergency department. A preoperative bimanual exam revealed a mass consistent with a 20 week gestational uterus. Following fluid resuscitation, the patient underwent emergent myomectomy and ligation of the right uterine artery and was discharged home in good condition.

Imaging findings of ruptured abdominal and pelvic tumors

A variety of abdominal and pelvic tumors can present with rupture leading to hemoperitoneum/hemoretroperitoneum or peritonitis. Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis of hemorrhage or peritonitis as well as in the detection of ruptured tumors or organs. In this article, we illustrate the imaging findings of ruptured tumors arising in the abdominal and pelvic organs while excluding those of ruptured tumors arising in the stomach and intestines. It is important for the radiologists to understand the mechanisms involved in tumor rupture and recognize the imaging features of ruptured tumors according to the organs involved because this will permit the exact diagnosis of ruptured tumors, thereby facilitating prompt and effective treatment.