Type II Hereditary Angioedema Misdiagnosed with an Acute Abdomen: A Case Report Study

Abstract

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare autosomal dominant condition caused by an uncontrolled activation of the contact pathway leading to an excessive production of bradykinin, with subsequent episodes of self-limited, non-pruritic swelling of the skin, the gastrointestinal and airway mucosa, which can be life-threatening. Here, we present a case of type II HAE in a patient who presented to multiple institutions with severe abdominal crisis described as diffuse colicky abdominal pain associated with abdominal distention and was misdiagnosed with acute abdomen leading to multiple surgical procedures.