[Intramural intestinal hematoma--a complication of the oral anticoagulant therapy]

The presentation of a rare complication of oral anticoagulant treatment involving abdominal surgery.

A 59 years old patient who received oral anticoagulant treatment with Warfarine for repeated episodes of thrombosis of the lower limbs, suddenly develops an occlusive abdominal simptoms, which did not submit under conservative treatment. Biologically the clotting times were modified and the abdominal CT showed lesions of the first jejunal loop.

During surgery an amount of blood was found in abdominal cavity and a large haematoma of the first jejunal loop which required resection. The postoperative evolution was simple with discharge in the 12th day, surgically cured.

1. Intramural intestinal haematoma is a rare, but possible complication of the oral anticoagulant treatment. 2. Precise diagnosis is possible, avoiding unnecessary surgical intervention because the complication is treatable using conservative therapy. 3. Surgical intervention is required in case of a sudden onset, imprecise diagnosis and unfavorable evolution which could point associated intraabdominal lesions.