injuries and poisoning
Spleen Injury
Introduction
Because of the spleen’s position in the upper left side of the abdomen, a severe blow to the stomach area can damage the spleen, tearing its covering, the tissue inside, or both. An injured spleen is often painful. Imaging tests such as ultrasonography or computed tomography (CT) are used to diagnose an injured spleen. Blood transfusions are often needed to treat a spleen injury, and sometimes surgery to remove or repair the spleen is done. (See also Overview of Abdominal Injuries .) The tears range from small ones that stop bleeding spontaneously to very large ones that cause potentially fatal bleeding. Sometimes a collection of blood (hematoma) forms under the covering of the spleen or deep within it. The spleen is the most commonly injured organ in the abdomen as a result of motor vehicle crashes, falls from a height, athletic mishaps, and assaults. Sometimes other abdominal organs also are damaged. Enlargement of the spleen (for example, due to Epstein-Barr virus causing Infectious Mononucleosis ) makes the spleen more susceptible to injury. When the spleen is injured, blood may be released into the abdomen. The amount of bleeding depends on the size of the injury. A hematoma of the spleen does not bleed into the abdomen at first but may rupture and bleed in the first few days after injury, although rupture sometimes does not occur for weeks or months. 