[Atraumatic rupture of the spleen. A proposal of new attitudes. Apropos a case in brucellosis]

Abstract

A case of spontaneous spleen rupture during acute brucellosis, followed by clinical and ultrasound examinations until the natural resolution of the subcapsular hematoma, is presented. The causes of this complication are reviewed and a new classification is proposed, creating 3 groups of nontraumatic ruptures: spontaneous, with basal splenic disease and associated to other pathology. We highlight the several states of spleen ruptures--some with spontaneous resolution--and the utility of the radiological techniques to carry out a follow-up on them, which can in some cases help avoid surgical intervention.