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CASE REPORT
Non-traumatic ruptured splenic abscess presenting with pneumoperitoneum in an immunocompetent patient: a diagnostic dilemma
  1. Nitin Agarwal1,
  2. Ashish Sharma2 and
  3. Gaurav Garg2
  1. 1 Department of Surgery and Renal Transplant, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi, India
  2. 2 Urology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
  1. Correspondence to Dr Ashish Sharma, ashishuc343{at}gmail.com

Abstract

Splenic abscess is a rare life-threatening clinical entity. There are only a handful of reported cases of spontaneous splenic abscess rupture with pneumoperitoneum. Rupture of splenic abscess associated with gas-producing pathogens may lead to pneumoperitoneum. We hereby report the case of a ruptured splenic abscess with pneumoperitoneum in a young immunocompetent woman masquerading as hollow viscus perforation peritonitis. Ruptured splenic abscess should be kept in mind for treating surgeons as a differential diagnosis of pneumoperitoneum or peritonitis, particularly for immunocompromised patients.

  • general surgery
  • gas/free gas
  • gastroenterology
  • gastrointestinal surgery

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Footnotes

  • Contributors NA and AS: concept, design, supervision, processing, writing manuscript and critical analysis. GG: supervision, processing, writing manuscript and critical analysis.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

  • Patient consent for publication Obtained.