Arterial aneurysms of the lienorenal axis during pregnancy

Rupture of an aneurysm of the renal or splenic arteries remains a rare but catastrophic complication of pregnancy with a generally dismal prognosis for both mother and fetus. Improvements in abdominal imaging for incidental conditions are unlikely to lead to earlier diagnosis of such abnormalities antenatally, hence cardiovascular collapse during pregnancy is likely to continue to be their usual presentation. Two cases are described, both of splenic artery rupture. The literature of these rare events is reviewed.