Spontaneous intestinal intramural hematoma: What to do and not to do

Objective: Spontaneous intestinal intramural hematoma is a rare complication of anticoagulant treatment. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated 14 patients with the diagnosis of intramural hematoma of the small intestine who were followed-up and treated in our clinic, and we aimed to determine current approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of intramural hematoma.

Material and methods: Between February 2010-October 2012, 14 patients diagnosed with small intestinal intramural hematoma were retrospectively analyzed. Nine patients were followed due to clinical findings and 5 patients underwent operation with a histopathological diagnosis of intramural hematoma.

Results: Abdominal computed tomography demonstrated ileal and jejunal wall thickening in 10 patients, while findings were consistent with mesenteric vascular disease in four. Five patients were operated due to mechanical bowel obstruction and acute abdomen. The other 9 patients were followed up with medical treatment and 8 of these patients were already using warfarin due to cardiac bypass and valve replacement.

Conclusion: Spontaneous intestinal intramural hematoma is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction due to intramural hematoma, which is encountered even more rarely. An intramural hematoma should be considered among differential diagnosis of patients who present with abdominal pain and symptoms of obstruction with a history of anticoagulant drug use and elevated International Normalized Ratio (INR) levels. Early diagnosis and medical follow-up can provide a good response to treatment in the majority of patients without requiring surgery.