Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Murine Model of Metastatic Liver Tumors in the Setting of Ischemia Reperfusion Injury
Published on: August 30, 2019
Splenic injuries secondary to colonoscopy: Rare but serious complication
Waqas Ullah1, Mamoon Ur Rashid2, Asif Mehmood3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Abington Hospital, Abington, PA 19001, United States.
Background:
Colonoscopy is a safe and routine diagnostic and therapeutic procedure for evaluation of large bowel diseases. Most common procedure related complications include bleeding and perforation but rarely a splenic Injury.
Aim:
To investigate the reason for colonoscopy, presentation of patient with spleen injury, types of injury, diagnosis, management and outcomes of patients.
Methods:
A structured search on four databases was done and 45 articles with 68 patients were selected. The reason for colonoscopy, presentation of patient with spleen injury, types of injury, diagnosis, management and outcomes of patients were identified and analyzed using SPSS.
Results:
The mean age of the patients was 62.7 years with 64% females. Twenty two percent had a complete splenic rupture with colonoscopy while 63% had subcapsular hematoma, spleen laceration and spleen avulsion. The most common reason for colonoscopy was screening (46%) followed by diagnostic colonoscopy (28%). Eighty seven percent of patients presented with abdominal pain. Patients with spleen rupture mostly required splenectomy (47%), while minor spleen hematomas and lacerations were managed conservatively (38%). Six percent of the patients were managed with proximal splenic artery splenic embolization and 4% were managed with laparoscopic repair. The overall mortality was 10% while 77% had complete recovery. The reason of colonoscopy against presentation specifically, abdominal pain showed no statistical significance P = 0.69. The indication of colonoscopy had no significant impact on incidence of splenic injury (P = 0.89). Majority of the patients (47%) were managed with splenectomy while the rest were managed conservatively (P = 0.04). This association was moderately strong at a cramer's V test (0.34). The Fisher exact test showed a higher mortality with spleen rupture (P = 0.028).
Conclusion:
Spleen rupture due to colonoscopy is a significant concern and is associated with high mortality. The management of the patients can be individualized based on clinical presentation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...
Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
Endoscopic Procedures II: Colonoscopy
Endoscopic Procedures IV: Sigmoidoscopy and Laproscopy
Sigmoidoscopy
Sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that uses a flexible sigmoidoscope equipped with a light source and camera to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon. The procedure involves inserting the tube through the anus...
Esophageal Perforation-I: Introduction
The location of esophageal perforation can vary, occurring anywhere along the esophagus....
Esophageal Perforation-II: Clinical Manifestations and Management
Clinical Manifestations:

