摘要
A rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm in the postpartal period is a rare but dramatic event with a high rate of maternal mortality. We report on a 29- year- old woman who, after a normal ambulant delivery in our department, experienced an attack of pain in the left epigastrium 7 hours later at home and fell into a state of hemodynamic shock. Owing to a targeted diagnostic work-up and immediate surgical intervention, the patient survived this incident with no damage. According to the international published literature, the mortality rate for this condition is 50% . In developed countries a rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm during pregnancy or the postpartal period is a very significant cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Based on a review of the published literature, the causes, diagnosis, clinical work-up and treatment of these ruptures are addressed in the Discussion section. For the purpose of differential diagnosis, every obstetrician and emergency medicine specialist should be familiar with this relatively rare condition. Immediate diagnosis and prompt establishment of the indication for laparotomy are essential in order to ensure that the mother and the child survive the incident.
A rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm in the postpartal period is a rare but dramatic event with a high rate of maternal mortality. We report on a 29- year- old woman who, after a normal ambulant delivery in our department, experienced an attack of pain in the left epigastrium 7 hours later at home and fell into a state of hemodynamic shock. Owing to a targeted diagnostic work-up and immediate surgical intervention, the patient survived this incident with no damage. According to the international published literature, the mortality rate for this condition is 50% . In developed countries a rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm during pregnancy or the postpartal period is a very significant cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Based on a review of the published literature, the causes, diagnosis, clinical work-up and treatment of these ruptures are addressed in the Discussion section. For the purpose of differential diagnosis, every obstetrician and emergency medicine specialist should be familiar with this relatively rare condition. Immediate diagnosis and prompt establishment of the indication for laparotomy are essential in order to ensure that the mother and the child survive the incident.
