Painful bruising syndrome

A 54-year old anorectic patient with painful bruising syndrome (Gardner-Dia mond syndrome) suffered from various gastrointestinal and psychologic compl aints. The episodes of painful bruising could be provoked following intrade rmal injection of washed red blood cells within 96 h. The pathogenesis of t his rare entity is more likely due to a psychiatric alteration rather than to the immunological mechanisms, as had been postulated two decades ago. Ne vertheless, the Gardner-Diamond-syndrome should be included in the differen tial diagnosis of ecchymotic bleeding.