Spontaneous splenic rupture in a patient with small-cell lung cancer

Abstract

We report a case of a 66-year-old male patient presented to our pneumology ward with the diagnosis of neutropenic pneumonia. Therapy with granulocyte colony stimulating factors (G-CSF) and intravenous antibiotics was initiated as usual in this condition. The unexpected and acute onset of left-sided abdominal pain and sings of hypovolemic shock led us to a challenging diagnosis, rarely considered in non-traumatic patients. After pathological evaluation of the spleen, spontaneous splenic rupture due to G-CSF was our final diagnosis. Copyright 2013 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved.