Traumatic splenic rupture in pregnancy with favourable pregnancy outcome: Case report

Abstract

Trauma complicating pregnancy is one of the causes of deaths that are not captured in the maternal mortality ratio, yet it occurs in about 1 in 15 pregnancies. This is a report of a case of splenic rupture occurring after a vehicle hit a pregnant woman who was a pedestrian. Splenectomy was done and, in spite of having a hemoperitoneum of about 2 litres, she recovered without further complication and was able to sustain the pregnancy to term, with the delivery of a healthy female infant. Clinicians should seek to exclude splenic rupture in cases of blunt trauma to the abdomen during pregnancy because of the risk of severe haemorrhage, shock, and possibility of pregnancy loss.