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Severe abdominal pain and thrombocytopenia—Typical symptoms of occult jejunal diverticulum perforation?

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Abstract

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 (98000 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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Salem Medical Center, Zeppelinstr. 11-33, 69121, Heidelberg, Germany

    Friedrich E. Klee & Stefan Wysocki

  2. Department of Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Brigitte R. Osswald

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  1. Friedrich E. Klee
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Klee, F.E., Osswald, B.R. & Wysocki, S. Severe abdominal pain and thrombocytopenia—Typical symptoms of occult jejunal diverticulum perforation?. J Gastroenterol 32, 246–250 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02936376

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02936376

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