Traumatic Splenic Rupture Unmasking Necrotizing Histoplasmosis in a Sickle Cell Anemia Patient: The Mystery behind Recurrent Abdominal Pain

Abstract

Sickle cell anemia is the most common abnormality of the red cell. The clinical manifestations of SCD are mostly related to hemolytic anemia, hypersplenism, and Vaso-occlusion, which can lead to acute and chronic pain and tissue ischemia or infarction. Disseminative or primary invasive infections such as histoplasmosis can masquerade in splenomegaly resulting in multiple hospital visits for acute splenic crises, causing increased morbidity and mortality. This case would increase our index of suspicion for invasive Splenic fungal infection in a sickle cell patient, especially with recurrent abdominal pain and hepatosplenomegaly as well as its management.