title: Intra-abdominal bleeding caused by spontaneous rupture of an accessory spleen: the CT findings.
abstract: Accessory spleens are common. Their clinical importance lies in the need to include their removal when performing a splenectomy for primary haematological disorders, or as the source of 'preservable' splenic tissue in cases of ruptured primary spleen. Rupture of a normal spleen almost always occurs because of trauma, spontaneous rupture is rare. In pathological spleens, however, 'spontaneous' rupture is more widely reported, although it is argued that minor trauma is often still responsible in these cases. We report a case of spontaneous isolated rupture of a histologically normal accessory spleen and show the CT findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, UK.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Coote
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Eyers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006465:Hemoperitoneum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013154:Spleen / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013161:Splenic Rupture / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*