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Haemoperitoneum associated with cocaine abuse: a case report
C de Magnée1, P Feron, A Mehdi
1Department of Surgery, Ixelles Hospital, Free University of Brussels, ULB, Brussels, Belgium. cathdem11@hotmail.com
Acta Chirurgica Belgica
|February 16, 2008
Summary
Cocaine abuse can cause severe abdominal pain due to internal bleeding. This case highlights the need to consider lethal abdominal hemorrhage in cocaine users presenting with acute abdominal pain.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Toxicology
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Cocaine use is prevalent and linked to numerous systemic health issues.
- Digestive complications from cocaine use are less frequently recognized.
- Intranasal cocaine administration is a common route of abuse.
Observation:
- A young male presented with severe abdominal pain and vomiting post-intranasal cocaine use.
- Diagnostic imaging revealed massive hemoperitoneum (blood in the abdominal cavity).
- No other underlying gastrointestinal pathology was identified as the cause.
Findings:
- Cocaine use can precipitate spontaneous, massive intra-abdominal hemorrhage.
- The hemorrhage occurred without evidence of trauma or pre-existing conditions.
- This presentation underscores a critical, often overlooked, complication of cocaine abuse.
Implications:
- Clinicians must include cocaine-induced abdominal hemorrhage in the differential diagnosis for acute abdominal pain in users.
- Prompt recognition and management are crucial due to the potentially fatal nature of hemoperitoneum.
- This case emphasizes the severe gastrointestinal risks associated with recreational cocaine consumption.
