[Splenic abscess]

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2017:161:D1864.
[Article in Dutch]

Abstract

Splenic abscess is a rare and potentially lethal clinical condition. The most common symptoms of a splenic abscess - abdominal pain, nausea and fever - are non-specific. As a result, a splenic abscess is often not considered in the initial work-up. This might lead to a delay in diagnosis and treatment. In this case series we successively describe a 41-year-old female with a splenic abscess after Streptococcus milleri bacteraemia, a 78-year-old male with a splenic abscess caused by a colon carcinoma and a 52-year-old male with a splenic abscess resulting from a colosplenic fistula after bariatric surgery. By emphasizing the different aetiologies, the different clinical presentations and the different therapeutic options of a splenic abscess, we aim to create greater awareness of this rare clinical phenomenon.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Abscess / diagnosis*
  • Abdominal Abscess / etiology
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Colonic Neoplasms / complications
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Fistula / complications
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Splenic Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Splenic Diseases / etiology