Left flank pain during pregnancy with an unpredictable etiology: think of nonhemorrhagic adrenal infarction

Abstract

Abdominal pain is the most presenting complaint during pregnancy with multiple etiologies. The diagnosis could be unpredictable. We present a case of 36-year-old pregnant woman gravida 10 para 7 abortus 2 at 36 + 5 weeks of gestation presenting twice for an increasing left abdominal pain, not relieved despite analgesics. She was delivered for severe oligohydramnios. After delivery, she was found to have a left adrenal infarction on computed tomography scan. She was found to have two mutations of the gene MTHFR 677CC. Our presented case should remind physicians to consider the presence of thromboembolic state during pregnancy. The diagnosis of adrenal infarction should be among the differentials of an ambiguous flank pain that is resilient to medical therapy. Diagnosis in a pregnant patient can be easily confirmed with MRI, after which anticoagulation should be started and the workup for hypercoagulable state investigated.

Keywords

• adrenal infarction
• case report
• flank pain
• oligohydramnios
• pregnancy
• preterm birth