Splenic Injury Following Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Splenic injury following endoscopy is a rare but potentially fatal complication. While this has been found to occur more frequently after colonoscopy, splenic injury following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) remains highly uncommon since its first reported case in 1989. Indeed, there have been only 19 such cases reported in the English, German, and Spanish literature collectively over the past 27 years. We report on a 59-year-old woman who developed a peri-splenic haematoma diagnosed on abdominal computed tomography the day following ERCP and stenting for Mirizzi syndrome. The patient was treated conservatively and made a full recovery. We reviewed all cases of post-ERCP splenic injuries reported to date and discuss the published opinions on the likely mechanism of injury, predisposing factors, presenting features, investigation, and treatment options. Ultimately, patient outcome relies on clinical suspicion of this rare complication following ERCP.

Keywords: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; Haematoma; Splenic injury.

Fig. 1

Axial (a) and coronal (b) CT scans in the portal venous phase showing evidence of peri-splenic haematoma (*) and haemoperitoneum (**).