Hematoma Disguised as Cancer

Hematomas are often associated with benign processes such as sport-related injuries, postsurgical complications, and medications such as blood thinners. Rarely, hematomas can occur spontaneously without any identifiable cause or recollection of an inciting event. Such events can lead to inaccurately diagnosing a patient, which could delay or alter treatment and worsen the patient’s prognosis. This patient reported sudden-onset abdominal pain with radiation to her back and denied any recent medication use or trauma while at home. The case highlights the key radiographic findings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound to eventually confirm an obscure case of hepatocellular carcinoma and help guide management.