Right adrenal mematoma causing partial small bowel obstruction in a term neonate

Abstract

Adrenal haematoma in the neonate commonly occurs during the first week of life and usually proceeded by either mechanical trauma or metabolic stresses including hypoxia, hypovolaemia, septicaemia and coagulopathy. Haematomas commonly present with abdominal mass, anemia and hypovolaemia. The authors report a large for gestational age male newborn who presented with partial small bowel obstruction following adrenal haematoma in a background of an otherwise uneventful vaginal delivery. Although this presentation is extremely rare, it is important to timely investigate all sick newborns with presentations which mimic acute surgical abdomen. Accurate diagnosis enables both avoidance of unnecessary surgical explorations and optimal conservative management.