Spontaneous liver rupture in a patient with peliosis hepatis: a case report.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Single case report
PubMed 19916182 · doi:10.3748/wjg.15.5493
What was done
A clinical case report of a young male patient with aplastic anemia receiving long-term treatment with the synthetic anabolic steroid oxymetholone who presented with sudden-onset intra-abdominal hemorrhage and profuse hemoperitoneum. The patient was treated surgically with a right hemihepatectomy and followed clinically.
What was found
The intra-abdominal bleeding was identified as spontaneous liver rupture secondary to peliosis hepatis. Following right hemihepatectomy, the patient was reported to be in good health at 13 postoperative months. No quantitative clinical or laboratory metrics were provided in the abstract.
Why it matters
This case demonstrates that peliosis hepatis is a potentially fatal complication of prolonged synthetic anabolic steroid use that can present as acute, life-threatening hemoperitoneum requiring urgent surgical management.
Limits
This is an uncontrolled single-patient case report (n=1), precluding any assessment of incidence, risk factors, or comparative efficacy of interventions. Causality between oxymetholone exposure and peliosis hepatis cannot be definitively established from an individual case.
Cited by
- context High-dose or long-term anabolic steroid use can lead to the formation of large hepatic cysts or vascular lesions that can rupture and cause severe internal hemorrhage.