Rectus sheath hematoma in pregnancy

Abstract

Although spontaneous hemorrhage into the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle is uncommon in pregnancy, rectus sheath hematomas (RSHs) should be considered in patients who present with an acute onset of abdominal pain in the latter half of pregnancy or the immediate postpartum period. Both sonography and CT are useful in diagnosing RSHs. We report a case of pregnancy-associated RSH initially suspected of being a degenerating leiomyoma or torsed ovary. Sonography showed a large mass of mixed echogenicity with no internal vascularity. CT confirmed that the lesion was suprafascial. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.