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Splenic hematoma secondary to snake bite is a potential complication due to snake envenomation and poses a significant risk to the health of the patients. Although relatively rare, this complication once diagnosed, should be initiated with timely anti-venom administration and supportive care. Clinicians must be aware of any signs of hematological abnormalities in snakebite patients, as the development of splenic hematoma can have serious implications for patient outcomes. Awareness of this potential complication and multidisciplinary collaboration among medical teams are crucial to ensuring effective management and optimal patient care in these clinical scenarios. Understanding this concern can improve patient prognosis and advance the overall approach to snakebite management in healthcare settings.

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OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical presentation of a Thoroughbred filly with acute hemoperitoneum from a splenic source immediately after racing. ANIMAL: A 3-year-old Thoroughbred filly used for racing and that had raced shortly before presentation to the hospital. CLINICAL PRESENTATION, PROGRESSION, AND PROCEDURES: On presentation, the filly was quiet, alert, and responsive with a heart rate of 76 beats/min, pale mucous membranes, and absent borborygmi. All other physical examination parameters were within normal limits. Abdominal ultrasound was performed and revealed echogenic free abdominal fluid and a splenic hematoma. Abdominocentesis yielded sanguinous fluid with a PCV of 35%. The next day, repeat ultrasound revealed the splenic hematoma with capsular separation. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: The filly was treated overnight with isotonic crystalloid fluids and aminocaproic acid (40 mg/kg, IV, slow bolus over 30 minutes followed by 20 mg/kg, IV, q 6 h), potassium penicillin (22,000 IU/kg, IV, q 6 h), gentamicin (6.6 mg/kg, IV, q 24 h), and omeprazole (4 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h). The lowest PCV obtained from the filly was 36 hours after presentation. The filly stabilized with medical treatment and was discharged to a farm for further recuperation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There are no published reports detailing hemoperitoneum of splenic origin in Thoroughbreds immediately after racing. Hemoperitoneum of splenic origin is not common in horses, with most cases of hemoperitoneum being secondary to acute trauma, neoplasia, parturition, or postoperative complications. While uncommon, this case raises awareness to another differential for a colicky horse immediately after racing.

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BACKGROUND: Sickle cell trait (SCT), the heterozygous form of sickle cell disease, is generally thought of as a benign condition. However, it is possible for those with SCT to have serious complications, especially when they are exposed to high altitudes where oxygen levels are low. CASE REPORT: We present a case of a 41-year-old man with a history of SCT who developed severe epigastric pain and nearly lost consciousness while traveling on a commercial airplane. His twin brother, who also has SCT, had a similar episode in the past and required a splenectomy. A splenic subcapsular hematoma was found in a computed tomography scan of the abdomen and pelvis with intravenous contrast. He was admitted and managed conservatively until his symptoms resolved. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Though SCT is prevalent in our population, the complications that can arise, such as altitude-associated splenic syndrome, have likely not been thoroughly investigated. Physicians should add this condition to their differential if they practice at locations near airports or in areas of higher altitude and if their patients have a past medical history of SCT.

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Key clinical message: We reported a unique case in which the patient developed splenic hematoma following acute pancreatitis, the condition responded well to conservative management without any surgical intervention. Abstract: Splenic hematoma following acute pancreatitis is a rare complication that is thought to be due to the distribution of pancreatic exudates to the spleen. We presented a case of a 44-year-old patient with acute pancreatitis who developed a splenic hematoma. He responded well to conservative management and the hematoma was resolved.

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Colonoscopies are generally considered a safe procedure with an overall complication rate of 0.5%. Splenic injuries, including laceration, subcapsular hematoma, and rupture, have been thought to be underreported in the currently available literature. The etiology of splenic injury remains unknown, although excessive splenocolic ligament stretching and traction of adhesions have been hypothesized to play a role in its development. Even though conservative, percutaneous, and surgical strategies have been described in the literature, these strategies have been associated with higher mortality, and there is no consensus on the optimal approach to management. We present the case of a patient who sustained a splenic injury after a colonoscopy and was successfully managed with conservative measures.

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Dengue infection may have various surgical complications. Splenic hematoma is a rare complication of dengue hemorrhagic fever and may be life-threatening. Case Presentation: A 54-year-old male, diagnosed with dengue infection detected at another hospital, presented on the 10th day of fever with left upper abdominal pain for 7 days without history of trauma. Urgent ultrasonography of the abdomen revealed findings suggestive of a splenic subcapsular hematoma, which was confirmed by computed tomography scan. The grade II splenic hematoma was being managed conservatively. Unfortunately, the patient developed hospital acquired pneumonia and died from septic shock. Clinical Discussion: Hemorrhagic manifestations are seen in the febrile and critical phase of dengue, but the spleen is infrequently involved. Splenic hematoma can lead to splenic rupture, which can be rapidly fatal. Specific treatment guidelines of such hematomas are needed in the context of dengue infection, as the treatment modality is controversial. Conclusion: Patients must be carefully evaluated for the complications and surgical manifestations of dengue as abdominal pain and hypotension from splenic hematoma may be misinterpreted as components of dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.

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We present the case of a 76-year-old male who presented to our hospital with a rare infection of Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The patient had a suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) secondary to a chronic indwelling catheter; however, when symptoms did not improve on standard therapy, blood cultures revealed the growth of L. rhamnosus. The patient was found via imaging to have a concurrent infectious splenic hematoma, and aspiration confirmed the presence of L. rhamnosus. The patient resided in an area nursing home and was a poor historian; however, it is conceivable that this infection was acquired via diet or from normal gut flora as the patient did not present on probiotic supplementation. In this case report, we present both pharmaceutical and interventional treatment strategies as well as a timeline of treatment for this rarely-seen infection.

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Teaching Point: Splenic injury is an uncommon complication after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), requiring a high degree of suspicion in a patient who develops abdominal pain and/or hypotension after ERCP; in the appropriately selected patient splenic angioembolization can be the first-line treatment option.

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Splenic injury is usually seen with penetrating or blunt abdominal trauma. It is also one of the rare complications of colonoscopy. Various patient and procedural factors have been reported to increase the risk of this dreaded complication. We present a case of splenic injury after outpatient colonoscopy where intra-abdominal adhesions from previous abdominal surgeries were presumed to be the cause of splenic injury. Our patient had improved outcomes with timely diagnosis and intervention.

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Nontraumatic splenic rupture and hematoma are rare in sickle cell disease. We present a case of a 22-year-old Saudi male with sickle cell disease. He presented to our hospital with a history of nontraumatic abdominal pain, hemodynamic instability, and abdominal tenderness, with a large mass extending to the umbilicus. A computed tomography (CT) examination showed splenomegaly and a spleen infarction. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and stabilized. He was transferred to the regular ward and discharged against medical advice (DAMA). Later on, he presented again with persistent abdominal pain. He underwent splenectomy with cholecystectomy. The patient did well postoperatively and was discharged in good condition. While conservative management is common, operative management should be considered in patient with persistent pain. Splenic rupture has a high mortality rate.

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Atraumatic splenic rupture is a rare but dangerous complication of chronic pancreatitis, vastly ignored in emergency literature. The anatomical relationship between the spleen and the tail of the pancreas contributes to the pathophysiology when an inflammatory process is in progress, although the mechanisms are not fully understood. The authors report the case of a 41-year-old male, previously undiagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, presenting with atraumatic splenic rupture. Due to worsening abdominal pain and hemodynamic instability, he underwent total splenectomy. The final diagnosis was obtained through contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography scans, intraoperative findings and histopathological examination of the surgical specimen, as frequently reported in previous cases. Total splenectomy is the treatment of choice, as the failure rate of the conservative approach is high. Few of these cases are described and a deeper understanding of the subject is needed. As this condition can worsen in a short time, a prompt diagnosis followed by adequate treatment can impact the morbidity and mortality associated with splenic rupture. High clinical suspicion is essential and increased knowledge about the pathophysiology and presentation of splenic complications in pancreatitis may alert emergency physicians to these fatal complications.

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Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a common syndrome of dengue viral infection but complications such as sub-capsular splenic hematoma leading to capsular rupture in dengue are rare. We report a case of a young male who presented with fever, breathlessness, and acute abdomen. His CT of the abdomen revealed subcapsular splenic hematoma measuring 16.7 cm × 13.0 cm × 11 cm. His laboratory parameters were suggestive of anemia, thrombocytopenia, acute kidney injury, coagulopathy, and hepatopathy because of which instead of splenectomy, splenic artery embolization with ultrasound-guided splenic hemorrhage drainage was performed for his management as his clinical condition deteriorated. This case report sensitizes newer modalities of treatment of subcapsular splenic hematoma with splenic arterial embolization.

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Spontaneous splenic rupture in the extra-Baudet period is a rare phenomenon demanding a high clinical suspicion for diagnosis with prompt treatment. We present a case of a 39-year-old male presenting with left upper abdominal pain following six months after abdominal trauma. The patient underwent imaging studies showing a large subcapsular splenic hematoma with near-total parenchymal displacement and moderate hemoperitoneum. Sequential scans revealed a non-progressive resolving hematoma with no active extravasation. The patient underwent aggressive initial resuscitation followed by successful conservative management and was discharged.

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Splenic hematoma is a known complication of blunt force abdominal trauma. Traditional management of splenic hematomas has been primarily surgical. However, more recently, spleen-sparing management has been favored over surgical management for cases that meet certain criteria, with surgery now reserved for patients with complications. In this report, we present a case of a massive splenic hematoma that was managed conservatively and analyze the challenges faced in clinical decision making.

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Background: Neonatal splenic rupture/hemorrhage (SRH), an extremely rare and potentially fatal presentation, can spontaneously resolve without surgical treatment; However, treatment approaches remain controversial. The present study aimed to describe and analyze the clinical features and therapies of neonatal SRH and therapeutic approaches. Methods: We present the cases of two patients and review another 37 cases reported in English-literature. The literature search included all articles published in PUBMED from inception between January 1968 and December 2019. Demographic data, precipitating factors, clinical characteristics including presenting symptoms and signs, presenting time, age at SRH presentation, imaging findings, as well as treatments and outcomes were analyzed. Results: In addition to the two cases treated at our hospital, 37 neonates with SRH were reported during the study period. The rate of full-term neonates was 72% (28/39). The cause was idiopathic in most cases, and congenital coagulation disorders were underlying causes in 13% (5/39) of the cases. The most common presenting symptom and sign of neonatal SRH were pallor or anemia, followed by abdominal discoloration/distension. Additionally, 18% (7/39) of the cases presented with scrotal hematoma or swelling. The age at SRH presentation ranged between 3 h and 5 days of age. Abdominal ultrasonography or computed tomography was used as the diagnostic tool. Twenty-seven cases (69%) received surgical management. The prognosis was comparable between the neonates treated with splenectomy and those treated with non-surgical approaches. The mortality rate was 18% (7/39) in the study cohort. SRH presentation at ≤12 h of age was associated with higher mortality compared to SRH presenting time at >12 h of age (odds ratio 25.0, 95% CI 2.514-248.575, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Our literature review revealed that the mortality rate of neonatal SRH was 18% and that the mortality risk was higher in neonates presenting with SRH symptoms and signs at ≤12 h of age.

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Acute splenic sequestration crisis, the sudden pooling of red blood cells in the spleen, is an emergent process typically seen in children with homozygous sickle cell disease. Splenic sequestration has rarely been reported in adults with heterozygous sickle cell conditions, including sickle cell beta(+)-thalassemia disease (HbS/ß+-thalassemia). Here we present a case of a 32-year-old man with HbS/ß+-thalassemia who suffered an acute splenic sequestration crisis. We review the CT and ultrasound appearance of splenic sequestration, which include splenic enlargement and an irregular rim of hypoenhancing or hypoechoic tissue at the periphery of the spleen, and discuss imaging differential considerations. To our knowledge, this is only the nineteenth case of acute splenic sequestration to be reported in an adult with HbS/ß+-thalassemia in the English literature, and only the second case in which ultrasound findings are reported.

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Splenic subcapsular hematoma is a rare complication of pancreatitis. The splenic vessels and the pancreatic tail lie close together in the lienorenal ligament. The pathologies in the pancreatic tail may occasionally affect the spleen resulting in splenic vein thrombosis, arterial pseudoaneurysm, subcapsular splenic hematoma, and splenic rupture. A 40-year-old male with a history of alcohol abuse and alcohol-induced pancreatitis presented with severe epigastric abdominal pain and was diagnosed with pancreatitis. Later during hospitalization he became dyspneic and hemodynamically unstable, with acute anemia requiring blood transfusion. An abdominal CT with angiography (CTA) revealed a splenic subcapsular hematoma with active bleeding which was managed by urgent exploratory laparotomy and splenectomy. Due to its rarity, diagnosis of splenic hematoma in pancreatitis is challenging with rapid identification and intervention being key to management.

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Splenic hemorrhage (hematoma and rupture) is a rare complication of pancreatitis. In this article, we present a rare case of spontaneous splenic rupture as a complication of acute pancreatitis. A literature review was also completed to describe the patient characteristics, associated pancreatitis etiology, clinical presentations, risk factors, diagnostic and treatment modalities, and outcomes.

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Splenic hematoma is an exceptionally rare event in newborn period that usually occurs in concomitant birth trauma and bleeding disorder. This report presents a newborn case with severe hemophilia A, who had a splenic hematoma presented on the second day of life with severe anemia, abdominal distention, abdominal and scrotal ecchymosis. The patient was successfully treated medically with factor VIII concentrates without splenectomy. Molecular analysis of the factor VIII gene revealed a hemizygous deletion in exon 13.

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Spontaneous splenic hematoma occurring during pregnancy is a rare entity. It often occurs in preexisting pathology of the spleen such as thalassemia or infectious etiologies such as malaria, typhoid, dengue, or infectious mononucleosis but most commonly after a trauma. The occurrence of splenic hematoma during pregnancy without any underlying cause is rare. Here, we present such a case and the diagnostic dilemma associated with it.