Acute Colonoscopy-Induced Splenic Rupture Presenting to the Emergency Department

Abstract EN

Splenic rupture due to colonoscopy is a rarely reported event in the emergency medicine literature.

Patients experiencing such an occurrence are likely to report to the emergency department.

This paper documents an 84-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and nausea less than 24 hours following a colonoscopy.

An abdominal ultrasound revealed splenomegaly and free fluid.

An abdominal computed tomography was significant for a splenic laceration.

She underwent radiologic guided embolization and recovered without incident.

Emergency medicine physicians need to consider splenic rupture as a differential in patients presenting after colonoscopy with abdominal pain.