Polyarteritis nodosa: An unusual cause of life-threatening intra-abdominal bleeding

Abstract

Intra-abdominal arterial bleeding is a life-threatening condition, warranting immediate causal therapy. Polyarteritis nodosa is a rare type of necrotizing vasculitis that affects medium-sized arteries. We present a patient with severe arterial bleeding as the first symptom of polyarteritis nodosa. Because the bleeding took place intra-abdominal instead of gastro-intestinal, there was no macroscopic blood loss. She was successfully treated with endovascular coil embolization during angiography.