Fatal massive adrenal hemorrhage after bilateral total knee arthroplasty

Adrenal hemorrhage can occur in association with postoperative stress, trauma, myocardial infarction, infection, and chronic medical illness. Other risk factors for the development of spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage include a thromboembolic state and anticoagulation therapy, although it has rarely been observed following orthopedic surgery. The authors report the case of an otherwise healthy 61-year-old woman who died suddenly 9 days after bilateral total knee arthroplasty. The only abnormality found on postmortem examination was massive bilateral adrenal hemorrhage with destruction of nearly all adrenal tissue. Surgeons should be aware of this complication that, if recognized early, can be treated with steroid replacement.