Hepatic and splenic rupture associated with severe preeclampsia: a case report

The splenic rupture is a rare complication of pregnancy and of the postpartum period. On the contrary, hepatic hemorrhage is a relatively common complication of pregnancy and it is usually associated with preeclampsia. In this work we report the case of a 37 year-old patient with a noncontrolled 35 week-pregnancy of simple, with severe preeclampsia. She presented abdominal pain, headache, hypertension and accented cutaneous-mucous paleness at the moment of admission to the hospital. During physical evaluation at admittance, the patient suddenly suffered a severe circulatory collapse and it was decided a surgical intervention. A segmental caesarean section was practiced, and during the abdominal exploration it was observed hemoperitoneous, a splenic rupture degree III and a hematoma in the anterolateral liver's wall. Total splenectomy and evacuation of the hepatic hematoma was performed. The splenic rupture and the hepatic subcapsular hematoma should be considered as a part of the differential diagnoses when a hemodynamic collapse occurs during labor in patients with severe preeclampsia. This work constitutes the first report in the Venezuelan literature of the association of splenic rupture, hepatic subcapsular hematoma and severe preeclampsia. An appropriate prenatal control, the knowledge of this association and an immediate therapeutic intervention are essential to assure the maternal-fetal survival.