Spontaneous splenic rupture in infectious mononucleosis

Abstract

Introduction. Spontaneous splenic rupture is a rare but potentially fatal complication of infectious mononucleosis (IM). It occurs in only 0.1–0.5% of cases of this disease. The aim of this paper was to present a case with spontaneous splenic rupture after IM. Case outline. A 22-year-old female patient was feeling better one month after she was treated for infectious mononucleosis, and started training volleyball. Two weeks after starting the training, she felt severe abdominal pain. The diagnosis of rupture was confirmed with computer tomography. Splenectomy was successfully performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient recovered with no need for blood transfusion. Conclusion. Timely diagnosis and setting indications for surgical treatment are crucial in healing. Patients should wait to start with sport activities at least two months if the size of the spleen is within normal range.

Keywords

• infectious mononucleosis
• complications
• rupture
• spontaneus
• splenic rupture
• etiology
• surgery
• splenectomy