Splenic lesion as a complication of laparoscopy. Case report

A case of splenic lesion is reported in a 48-year-old female patient who underwent an uneventful diagnostic laparoscopy. Symptoms suggesting massive intraabdominal bleeding occurred 5 hours later. Intraoperatively, a small posterior splenic lesion was found, which could be repaired using fibrin glue. This protracted complication must have occurred while establishing the pneumoperitoneum; its cause is unclear, but distortion and stretching of small adhesions of the spleen with the abdominal wall may have played a role. Although rare, this complication should be considered when a patient deteriorates after an uneventful laparoscopy.