Splenic abscess as a complication of septic yersinia: CT evaluation

Yersinia enterocolitica (YE) frequently causes gastrointestinal illness, but is rarely a cause of systemic infection. The complications of septic YE include a wide variety of extraintestinal manifestations, with a 34-50% mortality rate. We present a patient with septic YE complicated by a splenic abscess. The clinical presentation was nonspecific, and the diagnosis of splenic abscess was made by computed tomography (CT). Because of the nonspecific clinical presentation and the wide range of extraintestinal manifestations of septic YE, CT can prove helpful in the diagnosis and management of these patients.