title: Acute hemoperitoneum from rupture of a hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: A male patient with cirrhosis presented with acute right upper quadrant pain, systemic hypotension, and falling hematocrit. Abdominal paracentesis confirmed acute hemoperitoneum, and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a large hepatic mass consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This rare presentation of a malignancy uncommon in North America leads to a discussion of the differential diagnosis of acute hemoperitoneum and a review of the literature on acute hemoperitoneum and HCC.
authors.affiliation: Consortium for Health Education, Kansas City, Missouri.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Clarkston
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inciardi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McEwen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ediger
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schubert
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006465:Hemoperitoneum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed