Case Report: Ruptured Spleen in a College Football Player.

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Radiology
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Splenic injuries can occur in athletes, sometimes with subtle initial clinical signs.
• Standard laboratory tests may not always reflect the severity of splenic trauma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of subcapsular splenic tear in an athlete.
• To emphasize the diagnostic utility of computerized tomography (CT) in such cases.

Main Methods:

• Clinical evaluation of an athlete with suspected splenic injury.
• Review of laboratory blood studies.
• Diagnostic imaging using computerized tomography (CT).

Main Results:

• A subcapsular splenic tear was identified.
• Laboratory blood studies showed minimal changes, masking the injury initially.
• Computerized tomography (CT) provided definitive diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• High clinical suspicion is crucial for diagnosing splenic injuries, especially when lab results are inconclusive.
• Computerized tomography (CT) is an effective imaging modality for detecting splenic tears in athletes.