Refractory splenic bleeding from splenic angiosarcoma: A case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Atraumatic splenic rupture (ASR) is a rare state that accounts for only <1 % of splenic ruptures. One of the causes of ASR is splenic neoplasm such as angiosarcoma. The treatment strategy for ASR is still unclear given the small number of cases reported in detail. CASE PRESENTATION: A 75-year-old woman presenting with abdominal pain with shock was referred to our hospital. Emergency computed tomography revealed splenic rupture, and hemodynamic stabilization was obtained by emergent vascular embolization. Rebleeding occurred 27 days after the initial treatment, and splenectomy was performed. Pathologically, ASR was diagnosed as caused by splenic angiosarcoma. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: ASR is a very rare disease. The etiology of ASR has been reported as neoplastic, infectious, and so on. The treatment for ASR should be decided considering the etiology of ASR, hemodynamic stability, volume of blood transfusion, patient status, severity of the splenic injury, and volume of intraperitoneal bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced a very rare case of ASR, in which diagnosis was challenging and the timing of surgery was difficult to determine. When splenic rupture has an atraumatic cause, splenectomy should be considered because of the possibility of malignancy.