Massive Adrenal Haemorrhage in the Newborn

Abstract

Intra-abdominal haemorrhage in the newborn is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge; the site of the haemorrhage is commonly the liver or adrenal, rarely the other organs. If the haemorrhage is profuse it may lead to rupture of the capsule of the organ and intraperitoneal haemorrhage. In the case of adrenal haemorrhage in the newborn most authors have concentrated on post-mortem findings, many of the infants being stillborn. The first reported case to be successfully treated was that of Since then eight other surviving infants in whom adrenal haemor- rhage was diagnosed have been described and these cases are tabulated (Table