Large intraosseous chronic expanding hematoma after total hip arthroplasty presenting with chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Background A chronic expanding hematoma (CEH) is a rare complication caused by surgery or trauma; it mostly affects the soft tissues, such as those in the trunk or extremities. We present the first case of a large intraosseous CEH presenting with chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), 22 years after total hip arthroplasty (THA); the CEH was treated with a single-stage excision and revision THA. Case presentation A 67-year-old man presented to our hospital with left thigh pain and an enlarging mass. He had no history of trauma, anticoagulant use, or a collagen vascular disorder. The patient initially declined surgery. Two years later, radiographs and computed tomography images revealed progressive osteolysis, marginal sclerosis, and calcification in the left femur, in addition to loosening of the femoral component. Laboratory data revealed anemia and chronic DIC of unknown causes. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a “mosaic sign” on the mass, indicating a mix of low- and high-signal intensities on T2-weighted images. Needle biopsy prior to surgery revealed no infection or malignant findings. An intraosseous CEH was suspected due to extensive osteolysis and loosening of the femoral component. No other factors that could induce chronic DIC were identified, such as sepsis, leukemia, cancer, trauma, liver disease, aneurysms, or hemangiomas. Therefore, we speculated that the anemia and chronic DIC were caused by the large intraosseous CEH. A single-stage revision THA with surgical excision was performed to preserve the hip function and improve the chronic DIC. The postoperative histopathological findings were consistent with an intraosseous CEH. The anemia and chronic DIC improved after 7 days. There was no recurrence of intraosseous CEH or chronic DIC at the 6-month follow-up. The left thigh pain improved, and the patient could ambulate with the assistance of a walking frame. Conclusions The loosening of the femoral component caused persistent movement, which may have caused intraosseous CEH growth, anemia, and chronic DIC. It is important to differentiate CEHs from malignant tumors with hematomas. Furthermore, the “mosaic sign” noted in this case has also been observed on magnetic resonance images in other cases of CEH.

A Case of a Chronic Expanding Hematoma Caused by an Epidermal Cyst

“…Recently, CEH was shown to be a cause of disseminated intravascular coagulation. 4 Although the patient did not have anemia and his platelet count was normal, slightly prolonged PT could be attributed to CEH. Unfortunately, no posttreatment blood samples were taken.…”

Chronic Expanding Hematoma With Progressive Osteolysis After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Case Report

“…Although there are some theories regarding the cause of CEH, they remain essentially unresolved. In addition, some authors also reported CEH with pseudotumor formation after total hip arthroplasty (THA) [ 5 - 10 ].…”