Spontaneous splenic rupture 1 week after laparoscopic appendectomy due to acute appendicitis

Abstract

Spontaneous splenic rupture is a rare entity that requires high index of suspicion for diagnosis. Usually, it occurs due to underlying pathology that could be inflammatory, neoplastic or infectious. However, there are also cases of spontaneous splenic rupture in a normal-sized spleen without obvious pathologic process. In our case, the patient suffered a spontaneous splenic rupture 1 week after laparoscopic appendectomy due to acute appendicitis. Histopathologic examination revealed a normal-sized spleen without any obvious pathology. In our patient, we did not found any explanation for a spontaneous splenic rupture, besides her primary inflammatory condition.

Keywords

• appendectomy
• atraumatic splenic rupture
• haemorrhagic shock
• splenectomy
• urgent surgery