J Korean Surg Soc.
2000 Oct;59(4):562-566.
Spontaneous Rupture of Spleen in a Patient with Malarial Infection
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Surgery, Chonnam University Medical School, Kwangju, Korea.
Abstract
-
Malaria is a protozoan disease transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. During acute and chronic
malarial infection, altered splenic structure and function produce asymptomatic enlargement or com
plications such as hematoma formation, rupture, hypersplenism, or cyst formation. Spontaneous splenic
rupture occurs during acute infection, usually during the primary attack. However, rupture occurring in
chronic malarial splenomegaly is seldom spontaneous; obvious trauma is almost always the precipitating
event. Recently, conservative therapy has been applied in all cases of malarial splenic rupture. Surgical
therapy should be reserved for patients with severe rupture or for those with continued or recurrent
bleeding. We report the case of a recently treated 25-year-old male who had acute malaria complicated
by fever and by severe abdominal pain, tenderness, and distension, a condition that may result in splenic
rupture. At operation, the spleen was slightly enlarged and multiple tearing was found in the lateral
surface of the capsule. A splenectomy was preformed.