Endometriosis presenting with hemorrhagic ascites, severe anemia, and shock.
Hemorrhagic ascites due to endometriosis is an exceedingly uncommon diagnosis rarely reported in the medical literature. We present a case of a 27-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department for flank and neck pain and was found to be hypotensive with massive hemorrhagic ascites and severe anemia. After emergency department resuscitation and hospitalization, her condition was found to be due to complications of endometriosis. A paracentesis of more than 4000 mL of bloody ascitic fluid revealed no evidence of cancer, and she was discharged on hospital day 3 with hormone therapy and no recurrence of symptoms upon outpatient follow-up. This case illustrates the clinical management, diagnostic approach, and underlying etiology of an infrequent but life-threatening complication of endometriosis.
Department of Emergency Medicine, San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium Emergency Medicine Residency, San Antonio Military Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA.
Trent L
TL
Morgan
Eric B
EB
Tomich
Jason D
JD
Heiner
D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D001201:Ascites / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D012769:Shock / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral