Abdominal wall haematoma in the obese: a dangerous phenomenon

We report the case of a 59-year-old obese female who developed an abdominal wall haematoma during administration of prophylactic clexane. Compared with the non-obese, the subcutaneous tissue of the obese is considered dysfunctional and has a different vascular structure and extra-cellular matrix composition. While the development of an abdominal wall haematoma is relatively uncommon, when they occur they can have fatal consequences. The altered subcutaneous tissue environment in the obese attenuates the normal external compression of an abdominal wall haematoma and as a result the obese are at greater risk of haemorrhage.