Spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder (SRUB); A case report and review of literature

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneous urinary bladder rupture is a rare urological emergency. It is usually secondary to an underlying pathology and it is an uncommon complication of urosepsis. We report a case of spontaneous urinary bladder rupture as a complication of urosepsis in a 67 year old male patient, who was admitted as a case of left diabetic foot and urinary tract infection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 67 year old male patient with a long standing indwelling urinary catheter and chronic cystitis developed acute peritonitis. Intraoperative finding was ruptured urinary bladder. DISCUSSION: A few cases of spontaneous urinary bladder rupture due to infection were found in literature. The majority of the patients present with diffuse abdominal pain, and tenderness due to chemical peritonitis. In the majority of cases the bladder perforation was diagnosed intra-operative. CONCLUSION: A diagnosis of spontaneous perforation of the bladder should be considered in patients presenting with an acute abdomen. The general surgeon is more likely than the urologist to encounter such patients in the first instance. There should be a high index of suspicion in patients with an acute abdomen and have associated urinary bladder condition.