Spontaneous splenic rupture in a patient with acute promyelocytic leukaemia during induction chemotherapy

Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) is a subtype of acute myeloid leukaemia with high curability rates. However, it is often accompanied by severe coagulopathy and bleeding risk and thus represents a potentially fatal haematological emergency requiring immediate treatment. Spontaneous splenic rupture is a rare event in all haematological malignancies. Only two clinical cases have been described so far in a setting of APL.

We report a patient with APL without preceding splenomegaly who underwent urgent splenectomy for spontaneously occurring splenic rupture during induction chemotherapy. After surgery the patient completed induction chemotherapy and achieved complete remission.

This is the second case of spontaneous splenic rupture without preceding splenomegaly in a patient with APL during induction chemotherapy described so far. Our case demonstrates that emergent splenectomy can be lifesaving even in the unfavourable condition of patient with severe immune deficiency.