Retroperitoneal spontaneous haemorrhage: three cases presentation

Abstract

Spontaneous retroperitoneal haemorrhage (SRH) is a rare medical emergency caused by bleeding in the retroperitoneal cavity, not resulting from trauma, surgical procedures, or iatrogenic manoeuvres, but rather associated with coagulation disorders, vascular issues, or spontaneous bleeding from tumours located in that space.

Diagnosis can be challenging, especially in its early clinical course, due to its varied symptoms. Therefore, delayed diagnosis and appropriate management often lead to high morbidity and mortality.

Below, we present three clinical cases of spontaneous retroperitoneal haemorrhage in the context of infectious processes and one secondary to spontaneous tumour bleeding, which was confirmed through computed tomography. We emphasise the importance of clinical suspicion of this complication despite its low incidence, highlighting the imminent life-threatening risk it poses, as well as the need for rapid and timely diagnosis and intervention.