Late sucessful treatment of splenic rupture in a haemophilic boy

The recognition of traumatic splenic rupture in an 11-year-old severely affected haemophilic boy was delayed for over five weeks. Splenectomy was carried out successfully after the demonstration of splenic rupture by an isotope spleen scan. Splenic rupture is difficult to differentiate from more simple causes of retroperitoneal haematomata in haemophiliacs when there is no massive acute peritoneal bleeding, but it may be identified with isotopic spleen scans so long as the possibility of rupture is borne in mind.