Spontaneous Rupture of Splenic Artery Aneurysm in Pregnancy

Authors : Şükrü Arslan, Erdem Karadeniz, Abdürrahim Çolak, Ömer Erkan Yapça

Pages : 70-73

View : 28 | Download : 9

Publication Date : 2016-10-01

Article Type : Research

Abstract :Introduction: Splenic artery aneurysm (SAA) is a rarely seen disease but with a high probability of rupture in pregnancy cases. Once a rupture occurs, both the mother’s and the fetus’s lives are at risk. It is rather difficult to establish a diagnosis under emergency conditions because it may be confused with obstetric pathologies.Case Report: A 25-year-old, 24-week pregnant patient was admitted to the emergency department with an arterial blood pressure of 30/20 mmHg, a filiform pulse, and with no sign of trauma upon physical examination. An ultrasonography scan revealed pregnancy with negative fetal heart beats (FHA). The hemoglobin of the patient was 4.2 g/dL. The patient had undergone explorative laparotomy, with the preliminary diagnosis of intrauterine dead fetus. The patient was diagnosed with SAA. Because the patient had diffuse infarction in the spleen and severe bleeding from the uterus, she underwent splenectomy and total abdominal hysterectomy. The patient was discharged with cure on the 5th postoperative day.Conclusion: We aimed to emphasize the fact that a SAA may have developed in pregnant women who apply to the emergency service department with complaints of stomachache and hypotensive findings without a medical record involving any trauma and that taking rapid action in such cases is something to be kept in mind by physicians
Keywords : Pregnancy, splenic artery aneurysm, spontaneous rupture