• P R Shah, S Raman, and P N Haray.
• Department of Surgery, Prince Charles Hospital, Pontypridd, Wales, UK.
• Surg J R Coll Surg E. 2005 Aug 1; 3 (4): 293-5.

AbstractSplenic injury following colonoscopy is rare, with only 28 cases reported so far in the English language literature. Direct trauma during colonoscopy or traction on the spleno-colic ligament is the proposed mechanism of injury. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen is usually considered to be the most sensitive and specific modality for diagnosis. We report a case of a 56-year-old female, who was diagnosed having a splenic rupture following a routine colonoscopy for investigation of anaemia. She underwent an emergency laparotomy with splenectomy and made a satisfactory recovery post-operatively. We wish to highlight that there should be a high index of suspicion of splenic rupture in patients presenting with abdominal pain and demonstrating a positive Kehr's sign following colonoscopy. Only two case reports from the United Kingdom have been published, raising the possibility of under-reporting of such cases.

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