You can recognize a rupture of the spleen by these symptoms

Rupture of the spleenA rupture of the spleen (technical term: splenic rupture) is an injury, usually a tear, within the spleen tissue. The most common cause of a splenic rupture is blunt abdominal trauma, for example as a result of a serious traffic accident or a kick. Other typical accident mechanisms that frequently lead to the development of a rupture of the spleen are falls onto the handlebars of bicycles or motorcycles, which result in severe crushing of the spleen tissue.

In patients suffering from so-called polytrauma (multiple injuries, one or a combination of several injuries being potentially life-threatening) after an accident, the rupture of the spleen is usually considered to be an acutely life-threatening component. Spontaneous forms of splenic rupture, i.e. non-traumatic forms, are, however, rather rare. In most cases, the spontaneous rupture of the spleen is caused by infectious diseases or various blood disorders (so-called hematogenic diseases), which lead to an enormous increase in the size of the organ.

From a medical point of view, splenic rupture is classified into different degrees of severity. The mildest form of splenic rupture is the pure capsule rupture, which does not cause injury to the actual organ tissue. A typical symptom of pure capsule rupture is the occurrence of slight oozing bleeding from the surrounding tissue (splenic parenchyma).

The further classification depends on the spread of the severed capsule and parenchyma parts. In the most severe form of splenic rupture, the injuries reach so deep that important supplying blood vessels are also affected. The most appropriate therapy for a ruptured spleen depends on the severity of the rupture.

A pure capsule rupture can usually be treated conservatively under close ultrasound control and observation of the circulation parameters. In healthy people, the defect is closed by itself within a few days as the blood coagulates. The functional capability of the organ is usually completely preserved.

As soon as the actual tissue (parenchyma) is affected, purely conservative (non-surgical) treatment of the splenic rupture is not considered to be effective. In the majority of cases, the ruptured spleen must be treated surgically. For many years, the complete removal of the spleen was considered the method of first choice, but nowadays attempts are being made to ensure the preservation of the organ. For this reason, small defects are often closed with special adhesives or treated with self-dissolving plastic nets. Partial removal of the organ (partial resection of the tissue affected by the ruptured spleen) is now also considered a successful treatment method.