A Lethal Pursuit of Beauty: Tight-Lacing, the Faja Corset, and a Subcapsular Hematoma

Faja corset, a tight garment worn to obtain an hourglass body, may have contributed to the formation of a spontaneous subcapsular hematoma in a 38-year-old nulligravid woman with no history of trauma. Subcapsular hematomas of the liver are a rare occurrence, with many documented cases arising during pregnancy as a complication of HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet) syndrome. Additional causes include iatrogenic trauma, rupture of cysts, hepatic adenomas, hepatocellular carcinoma, or coagulopathies. Idiopathic or spontaneous cases are very rare. In this report, we discuss the case of a 38-year-old female who presented with a spontaneous subcapsular liver hematoma of unclear etiology, most likely related to compression by her faja corset.