Spontaneous splenic rupture during staging of colon cancer: a case report and review of the literature

Gaby Jabbour; Ahmad Nizar Hachem; Syed Muhammad Ali

Volume : IV, Issue : IX, September - 2015

Spontaneous splenic rupture during staging of colon cancer: a case report and review of the literature

Gaby Jabbour, Ahmad Nizar Hachem, Syed Muhammad Ali

Abstract :

<p>We present a case of spontaneous splenic rupture during staging of colon cancer in a female patient who presented with an obstructing sigmoid tumour. We also review the pertinent literature. A 54&ndash;year&ndash;old woman presented with vomiting, abdominal pain and distention. The diagnostic work&ndash;up comprised clinical examination, computed tomography, colonoscopy, stenting, and a sodium diatrizoate and meglumine diatrizoate enema. Twenty&ndash;four hours later, the patient presented to the emergency department with acute abdominal pain and hemodynamic instability. A diagnosis of spontaneous splenic rupture was made and a splenectomy together with Hartmann procedure (resection of the rectosigmoid colon with closure of the rectal stump and formation of an end colostomy) performed. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged on day 8. She received 12 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy (oxaliplatin, high&ndash;dose leucovorin and 5&ndash;fluorouracil) thereafter and was disease free 18 months postoperatively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of spontaneous splenic rupture occurring during staging of colon cancer.</p>