Atraumatic Splenic Rupture after Myocardial Infarction

Atraumatic splenic rupture is a rare but potentially life-threatening event. It mostly happens when the spleen is already diseased; however, sometimes it can be drug induced in a previously normal spleen. Although anticoagulation has been attributed to spontaneous splenic rupture quite frequently, the role of dual antiplatelet therapy is underestimated. We report a case of an 80-year-old woman who developed spontaneous splenic rupture 4 weeks after starting dual antiplatelet therapy. LEARNING POINTS: Atraumatic or spontaneous splenic rupture can be life threatening. Various drugs, including granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (GCSF) and anticoagulants, can result in atraumatic splenic rupture in a previously normal spleen. Dual antiplatelet therapy can also cause splenic rupture in a previously normal spleen. It can occur as early as a few weeks after initiation of treatment.