Spontaneous hematoma of the rectus abdominis sheath: a review of 177 caseswith report of 7 personal cases

Hematoma of the rectus abdominis muscle sheath is a little known and rarely diagnosed condition, in spite of its definite clinical setting and treatme nt. It is very important to the surgeon, as it may be mistaken frequently f or acute inflammatory abdominal conditions and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intra-abdominal tumors. The literature on 177 cas es of non-traumatic hematomas of the rectus abdominis muscle sheath is revi ewed, including seven personal cases reported by the authors. Its epidemiol ogy, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnostic examinations and treatment are discussed.