Splenic Rupture: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate a ruptured spleen (splenic rupture):

Unilateral splenic rupture

  • Abdominal pain in the left upper quadrant (left upper abdomen).
  • Possibly local defensive tension (acute abdomen).
  • Possibly radiation of pain into the left shoulder (= Kehr sign).
  • Possibly pressure painfulness of the “spleen point”: left side of the neck (located on the left between the scalenus anterior muscle and sternocleidomastoid muscle) (= Saegesser sign).
  • Possibly pain-induced Schonatmung
  • If necessary, symptoms of concomitant injuries

Concomitant symptoms

  • Signs of hypovolemic shock (volume deficiency shock) (in this case, hemorrhagic shock/bleeding causes the shock):
    • Hypotension (drop in blood pressure)? systolic < 100 mmHg.
    • Tachycardia? (heartbeat too fast: > 100 beats per minute).

Two-stage splenic rupture

  • Sudden onset of shock symptoms and left upper abdominal pain (see above for other symptoms)
  • Complaint-free interval of several days to weeks between onset of trauma and onset of sudden-onset shock symptomatology