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[Splenic hematoma after extracorporeal lithotripsy: apropos of a case]
Consuelo Conde Redondo1, Javier Estebanez Zarranz, José Amón Sesmero
1Servicio de Urología, Hospital Universitario Río Hortega, Valladolid, España. cconde@airtel.net
Objective:
To emphasise a case of splenic hematoma secondary to ESWL.
Methods:
We report the case of a 69 year old patient with the diagnosis of left kidney stone who underwent ESWL. The treatment was performed with an electric lithotripter after pre-treatment antibiotic prophylaxis; 2000 shock waves of 18 Kv were given to the patient.
Results:
Patient presented abdominal pain and hematocrit descent after lithotripsy. The diagnosis of splenic hematoma was established after abdominal ultrasound and CT-scan and the patient was treated conservatively. He required a posterior emergency splenectomy secondary to infection of the hematoma, with the result of death secondary to septic shock.
Conclusion:
Splenic lesion is an exceptional complication after ESWL. There are no studies about the effect of shock waves on the spleen, having been reported only four cases. It is believed that extreme care should be taken in cases with splenic pathology: leukaemia, lymphoma, etc.