Extramedullary Hematopoiesis in a Patient with Beta Thalassemia: A Rare Case Report

Abstract

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is a rare disorder, defined as the appearance of hematopoietic elements outside the bone marrow or peripheral blood due to ineffective erythropoiesis or inadequate bone marrow activity in a variety of hematological diseases. EMH often manifests as hemopoietic masses in a variety of normal and abnormal bodily sites. We present a 21-year-old man with a medical history of beta thalassemia since he was nine months old. The primary clinical symptom was mild abdominal pain. In this case, we describe a rare instance of small bowel obstruction due to EMH and portal hypertension. Surgery solved the clinical problems, and the patient was discharged home.

Keywords

• thalassemia
• small bowel obstruction
• extramedullary hematopoiesis