Delayed presentation of splenic trauma following colonoscopy

Splenic trauma is a rare complication of colonoscopy, and diagnosis of such an injury is often delayed and made only at laparotomy. Although computerized tomography may be helpful, a knowledge of this complication is the best tool to aid in early diagnosis. In this article, a case of splenic trauma is presented that was associated with a flexible fiberoptic colonoscopy and required an urgent splenectomy five days after the procedure.