Traumatic rupture of the normal spleen: Analysis of eighty-three cases

Abstract

1. 1. An analysis of eighty-three cases of traumatic rupture of the normal spleen is presented. 2. 2. Male persons outnumber female persons in their susceptibility to this type of injury. In our series 70 per cent of the patients studied were of the male sex. 3. 3. The peak incidence of traumatic rupture of the spleen occurs in the first two decades of life. 4. 4. This injury is more often caused by the blunt type of trauma rather than by the penetrating type. The penetrating wounds, however, cause the greatest mortality. 5. 5. The so-called spontaneous cases of ruptured spleen are most likely due to either a trivial or unrecognized injury or one that occurred some time previous to the rupture. 6. 6. There is a high incidence of associated injuries in persons with a ruptured spleen. In our series, over 75 per cent of the patients had injuries to other organs of the body. 7. 7. Localized pain in the left side of the abdomen together with nausea and vomiting are so frequent in patients with splenic rupture that it might be considered the “splenic rupture syndrome”. 8. 8. Leukocytosis and evidence of a declining hemogram are extremely important laboratory findings in the diagnosis of traumatic splenic rupture. 9. 9. The roentgenographic findings are usually noncontributory in the diagnosis. 10. 10. The only satisfactory treatment for traumatic rupture of the spleen is still splenectomy.