Case report on severe splenic injury following colonoscopy with disproportionately stable presentation: A rural hospital perspective

Abstract

Detection of splenic injury following routine colonoscopy is slowly on the rise. Mostly presenting as left upper abdominal or shoulder tip pain along with a sharp fall in haemoglobin level and hemodynamic instability, sometimes the presentation and initial workup may be vague and falsely reassuring. This is demonstrated in the case of a 72year old male who presented with vague but severe left lower abdominal pain following colonoscopy, during which one caecal polyp was removed and no intraoperative complications were reported. On emergency presentation, abdominal examination was not particularly concerning with only mild left lower tenderness and minimal guarding. Vital signs remained largely normal and blood counts were reasonable. Close to being discharged, patient demonstrated brief hypotension post ambulation which was easily reversed with a fluid bolus. Upon surgical review, a high index of suspicion prompted further investigation which revealed an unsuspected complication necessitating urgent laparotomy and splenectomy. Splenic injury is slowly becoming an increasingly reported complication following colonoscopy. While many cases present with typical features, others may only display subtle signs of deterioration, and warrant a high degree of suspicion. Rural doctors should be aware of and able to recognise this potentially fatal complication to ensure timely successful management.