hemoperitoneum

Hemoperitoneum (also haemoperitoneum, sometimes also hematoperitoneum) is the presence of blood in the peritoneal cavity. The blood accumulates in the space between the inner lining of the abdominal wall and the internal abdominal organs. Hemoperitoneum is generally classified as a surgical emergency; in most cases, urgent laparotomy is needed to identify and control the source of the bleeding. In selected cases, careful observation may be permissible. The abdominal cavity is highly distensible and may easily hold greater than five liters of blood, or more than the entire circulating blood volume for an average-sized individual. Therefore, large-scale or rapid blood loss into the abdomen will reliably induce hemorrhagic shock and, if untreated, may rapidly lead to death.

==Causes== Causes of hemoperitoneum include: Penetrating trauma Blunt trauma, most commonly injuries to solid organs such as the liver and spleen. Vascular accidents, such as rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, iliac aneurysm, or splenic aneurysm. Bleeding due to a ruptured ectopic pregnancy or uterine rupture. Rupture of corpus luteum in some cases. Less commonly, bleeding due to a perforated gastric ulcer. Bleeding due to rupture of an intra-abdominal neoplasm, (e.g., Hepatoblastoma) Disseminated intravascular coagulation People on high dose of anticoagulants (blood thinners) Perforation of the colon