Urinary Bladder Rupture In An Elderly Man From Abdominal Massage

Abstract

Background: Bladder rupture is a serious urological injury. Because symptoms are often atypical among elderly patients, this condition is often undetected especially when there is little or no trauma.
Aims and Objective: We report a rare case of bladder rupture, secondary to abdominal massage.
Patient and Method: A case of a 78 year old man who presented with 4 day history of abdominal pain following therapeutic traditional abdominal massage.
Results: Following an exploratory laparotomy and repair of an 8cm intraperitonial bladder dome rupture, the patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged.
Conclusion: A high index of suspicion, prompt diagnosis and immediate exploration will decrease the mortality and morbidity associated with this condition. There should be increased awareness on the inherent risk associated with traditional abdominal massage.

Keywords: Urinary bladder, rupture , abdominal massage.