Spontaneous rupture of the spleen presenting as acute thoracic empyema.
Splenic rupture heralded by acute thoracic empyema is rare. A review of 420 cases of spontaneous and delayed splenic rupture failed to list a single such instance. I have reported two unusual cases of spontaneous rupture of the spleen presenting in each instance an acute thoracic empyema without history of trauma.
D000208:Acute Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004653:Empyema / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D013161:Splenic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors