Atypical presentation of catastophric spontaneous mesenteric bleeding

Abstract

Spontaneous mesenteric bleeding is an exceptionally rare clinical condition and potentially lethal especially among elderly patients who are taking oral anticoagulant. We present a case of a 79-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with atypical chest pain which was radiating to the back. She developed profound hypotension with a sudden drop of haemoglobin. Contrast-enhanced CT of the aorta showed active mesenteric bleeding with mesenteric haematoma. The early diagnosis relies solely on a high index of suspicion of occult bleeding in patients with unexplained hypotension with a sudden drop of haemoglobin. Troponin can be falsely positive in mesenteric bleeding. Close monitoring to detect any sign of deterioration and early imaging in diagnosing intra-abdominal bleeding can help to avoid delay in treatment which is essential to prevent mortality and morbidity.