Extraperitoneal hemorrhagic rupture of a simple hepatic cyst. A case report and literature review.

Hemorrhagic rupture is a very rare complication of a simple hepatic cyst. We report the first case of a totally extraperitoneal rupture of a recurrent cyst, occurred in a 73-year-old man who presented with acute right hypochondralgia. Computed tomography revealed the rupture of a large hemorrhagic cyst in the right liver lobe and the formation of a voluminous hematoma in the retroperitoneal space. Despite the absence of hemoperitoneum, the entity of the bleeding led us to perform an urgent and successful surgical intervention. A review of the literature was conducted. To date, 9 cases of hemorrhagic rupture of simple hepatic cyst have been described and our case is the first one characterized by extraperitoneal bleeding. Our clinical management was in accordance with the majority of the other Authors. Different surgical procedures have been proposed and the best approach has not been established yet. However, the laparotomic approach should be preferred for a better control of the bleeding. In conclusion, the hemorrhagic rupture of a liver cyst is a life-threatening complication and a prompt surgery is necessary to prevent the hypovolemic shock. KEY WORDS: Extraperitoneal rupture, Hemorrhagic rupture, Simple hepatic cyst.