Splenic laceration following routine colonoscopy

Abstract

Colonoscopy is a routine procedure done tens of thousands of times per year for screening purposes. The vast majority of these procedures are uneventful. There are, however, complications that can arise from this procedure, including hollow viscus perforation and hemorrhage. We present a case in which a lesser known complication of colonoscopy-splenic laceration-was cared for in our emergency department. This complication is unusual and not often cited in the literature, but is important to recognize and treat quickly. We present a case of a 67-year-old female who underwent a routine screening colonoscopy at our institution and presented to the emergency department several hours later complaining of abdominal pain. Ultimately, abdominal computed tomography showed a large splenic laceration, which was treated operatively. The diagnosis of splenic laceration should be considered for patients with continued abdominal pain post-colonoscopy when other etiologies have been evaluated and ruled out.