[Unilateral spontaneous adrenal hematoma during the postpartum period. Apropos of a case].

Abstract

Spontaneous unilateral haematoma of the adrenal gland in post-partum is a rare event. We report a case in a 20 year-old woman without any medical history. The diagnosis could be suspected on upper abdominal pain and confirmed by sonography and CT-scan. There was no sign of endocrine dysfunction. Laboratory data were helpful to eliminate a phaeohromocytoma and histologic examination revealed only unilateral adrenal haemorrhage without tumour. Haematoma of the adrenal gland should be suspected in patients with upper abdominal pain without previous trauma, stress, or infection: however it occurs more frequently after severe stress and in association with other conditions. Surgery should be as conservative as possible.