A Rare Case of an Isolated Left Adrenal Haematoma in Blunt Force Trauma

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
File version

Version of Record (VoR)

Author(s)
Izwan, Sara
Anderson, William
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2022
Size
File type(s)
Location
Abstract

Isolated left adrenal gland injuries following blunt abdominal trauma are extremely rare, accounting for only 1.5-4% of all adrenal trauma cases. Most traumatic injuries are right-sided and associated with other concurrent organ injuries. While acute, unilateral adrenal injuries can be asymptomatic, it is important to recognise the potentially life-threatening complications from haemorrhage and/or adrenal insufficiency. Due to its rarity, there are currently no established guidelines for management, monitoring, or follow-up of adrenal gland trauma. We present a case report of a rare, isolated, post-traumatic left adrenal gland haemorrhage. A 39-year-old man presented with mild abdominal pain following a mountain bike accident. Initial assessment revealed tenderness in the left upper quadrant with normal vital signs and biochemistry, but computer tomography (CT) imaging demonstrated an enlarged left adrenal gland with regional fat stranding and free fluid consistent with an acute adrenal haematoma. He was admitted to the ward for observation and discharged on day three of admission. At a six-week follow-up, he reported a complete resolution in symptoms. Follow-up CT of the adrenals at five months post-injury demonstrated complete resolution of the isolated adrenal haematoma. Post-traumatic isolated left adrenal gland injuries are rare in the reported literature, and this case highlights the lack of current guidelines for management and monitoring in cases of isolated adrenal haemorrhage. The current consensus appears to be appropriate with conservative management and follow-up with serial abdominal CT until the resolution of haemorrhage and/or symptoms.

Journal Title

Cureus Journal of Medical Science

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume

14

Issue

7

Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement

© Copyright 2022 Izwan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Emergency medicine

Science & Technology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Medicine, General & Internal

General & Internal Medicine

accidental trauma

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Izwan, S; Anderson, W, A Rare Case of an Isolated Left Adrenal Haematoma in Blunt Force Trauma, Cureus Journal of Medical Science, 2022, 14 (7)

Collections