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Splenic rupture following shock wave lithotripsy

Wesley M. White, Steven A. Morris, Frederick A. Klein, W. Bedford Waters

Division of Urologic Surgery, Section of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Endourology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Address correspondence to Dr. Wesley M. White, Division of Urologic Surgery, Section of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Endourology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1924 Alcoa Highway, Suite B-222, Knoxville, TN 37920

Canadian Journal of Urology 2008, 15(4), 4196-4199.

Abstract

We present the case of a 61-year-old female who underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) treatment of a 12 mm left ureteropelvic junction stone. Following an uneventful and successful treatment, the patient was discharged. The patient re-presented to the emergency room 24 hours later with abdominal pain and hypotension. CT of the abdomen revealed a shattered spleen necessitating emergent removal. The patient recovered without difficulty. Although splenic rupture following shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) has been reported previously, this case represents the only published report of splenic rupture with use of a third generation electromagnetic lithotripter. Our report will highlight the details of the case and comment on the salient literature concerning visceral injury following lithotripsy.

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