Severe abdominal pain and thrombocytopenia--typical symptoms of occult jejunal diverticulum perforation?

Complicated small-bowel diverticula cause abdominal pain, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, small-bowel obstruction, and peritonitis. The present patient, had an occult perforation of a small-bowel diverticulum. There were diverticula throughout the whole small bowel. Preoperatively thrombocytopenia (98,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of gastroenterology 1997-04, Vol.32 (2), p.246-250
Main Authors: Klee, F E, Osswald, B R, Wysocki, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdominal Pain - etiology
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Diverticulitis - complications
Diverticulitis - epidemiology
Diverticulitis - surgery
Diverticulum
Diverticulum - complications
Diverticulum - epidemiology
Diverticulum - surgery
Female
Hemorrhage
Humans
Incidence
Intestinal Perforation - complications
Intestinal Perforation - surgery
Jejunal Diseases - complications
Jejunal Diseases - epidemiology
Jejunal Diseases - surgery
Pain
Peritonitis
Platelets
Small intestine
Thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia - etiology
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Summary:Complicated small-bowel diverticula cause abdominal pain, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, small-bowel obstruction, and peritonitis. The present patient, had an occult perforation of a small-bowel diverticulum. There were diverticula throughout the whole small bowel. Preoperatively thrombocytopenia (98,000 thrombocytes/cc), was noted. Without any special treatment, i.e., transfusion, the thrombocyte level increased after surgical treatment to normal levels. Although the incidence of small-bowel diverticula appears to be low (0.1%-2.3%) complications may become life-threatening. The level of thrombocytopenia may reflect the extent of inflammation.
ISSN:0944-1174
1435-5922
DOI:10.1007/bf02936376