[Rupture of the spleen and acute pancreatitis after ESWL therapy: a rare complication]

ESWL is a safe and efficient method in the therapy of urolithiasis which, however, is not free of complications.

ESWL was performed in a 54-year-old patient with a stone of 18 mm in size located in one of the upper calyces of the left kidney. Several hours after the ambulatory ESWL treatment the patient was admitted to the emergency room with strong pain in the left lumbar region and the upper abdomen. During examination low blood pressure, tachycardia and low Hb levels were found. Ultrasound and CAT scans revealed a subcapsular rupture of the spleen. Surgery was indicated, and a laparotomy with splenectomy was performed. Ten days after surgery the patient developed acute pancreatitis which was treated conservatively with success.

Although ESWL is a safe method in the treatment of urinary stones with a relatively small number of complications, rare complications like ruptures of the spleen have to be considered. Special attention should be given to patients with kidney stones in the left upper calyces, pathological growth of the spleen, and accompanying diseases such as chronic heart failure or hypertension. In such patients ESWL should not be performed on an outpatient basis.