Atraumatic splenic rupture - unexpected consequences of a world trip

Abstract

Diagnostic routine and knowledge about the therapy regimes of infectious diseases like malaria gain in importance due to globalization, global warming, and increasing numbers of refugees. We report a case of a 66-year-old patient who presented with severe abdominal pain, most prominent in the left upper abdomen. He was recently hospitalized with severe falciparum malaria, diagnosed after returning from a trip around the world. Upon readmission, laboratory results showed post-artesunate delayed hemolysis. The ultrasound examination was highly suspicious of splenic rupture, confirmed by the immediately performed CT scan. In this case, the prompt diagnosis allowed the initiation of adequate conservative therapy including intensive care monitoring and hemodynamic stabilization.