Vulvar hematoma secondary to spontaneous rupture of the internal iliac artery: clinical review

Abstract

Vulvar hematomas occur rarely outside the obstetric population but may present after other trauma to the pelvis or perineum. Spontaneous rupture of the internal iliac artery is described mostly in the presence of an aneurysm, with atherosclerosis, connective tissue disease, infection, and trauma as causative factors. It most often presents with abdominal pain and neurologic or urologic symptoms. We present an unusual case of a spontaneous rupture of the internal iliac artery that presented as a vulvar hematoma in a nulliparous woman that was successfully treated with selective arterial embolization and surgical evacuation. The literature is reviewed and management options discussed.