Rectus Sheath Hematoma Differential Diagnoses

  • Author: Wan-Tsu Chang, MD; Chief Editor: Steven C Dronen, MD, FAAEM   more...
 
Updated: Mar 16, 2011
 
 

Differential Diagnoses

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Wan-Tsu Chang, MD  Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati

Wan-Tsu Chang, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Medicine Residents Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

William A Knight IV, MD  Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Neurocritical Care, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

William A Knight IV, MD, is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Medicine Residents Association, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Society of Critical Care Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Steven G Werdehoff, MD  Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Huntsville Emergency Physicians Group

Steven G Werdehoff, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Medicine Residents Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Andra L Blomkalns, MD  Associate Professor, Vice Chair - Academic Affairs, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine

Andra L Blomkalns, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Heart Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Jerry Balentine, DO  Professor of Emergency Medicine, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine; Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Attending Physician in Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Barnabas Hospital

Jerry Balentine, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, American College of Physician Executives, American Osteopathic Association, and New York Academy of Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine

Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Fred Harchelroad, MD, FACMT, FAAEM, FACEP  Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Director of Medical Toxicology, Allegheny General Hospital; Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John D Halamka, MD, MS  Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Steven C Dronen, MD, FAAEM  Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, LeConte Medical Center

Steven C Dronen, MD, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

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Anatomy of the rectus sheath.
The Cullen sign, periumbilical ecchymosis, in a patient with a rectus sheath hematoma.
Rectus sheath hematoma of the right rectus muscle (same patient as in Image 4). Image courtesy of Dr David Gordon.
Note how the rectus sheath hematoma becomes bilobar as it dissects inferiorly (same patient as in Image 3). Image courtesy of Dr David Gordon.
Ultrasound image of a rectus sheath hematoma presenting as a tender, unilateral abdominal mass. D Maharaj, M Ramdass, S Teelucksingh, A Perry and V Naraynsingh Rectus sheath haematoma: a new set of diagnostic features. Postgraduate Medical Journal 2002;78:755-756. Reproduced with permission from the BMJ Publishing Group.
 
 
 
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