Gastric epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: A rare cause of spontaneous hemoperitoneum

Abstract

Spontaneous hemoperitoneum (SHP) also known as abdominal apoplexy is a rare medical condition but often life threatening. The most important treatment strategy for abdominal apoplexy is surgery where identification and ligation of the bleeding points is the main goal. Gastric hemangioendothelioma is an intermediate-grade vascular neoplasm. Vascular tumors of the stomach are rare, 0.9-3.3% of all gastric neoplasms hemangioendothelioma. It may develop in any organ, but more common in lungs and liver. We present an unusual case report of a 42 year-old gentleman admitted as a case of acute cholecystitis, who was intra operatively found to have spontaneous hemoperitoneum due to a ruptured serosal gastric tumor. Histopathological examination of the tumor reported as gastric hemangioendothelioma-epithelioid type. Although the treatment of choice is surgery, radical surgery can be avoided if there is no evidence of any malignant potential.