Der Internist
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Atraumatic rupture of the spleen is a rare, but life-threatening complication of pancreatitis. We report a case of an atraumatic spleenic rupture in chronic pancreatitis. A 41 year old man presented in the emergency room with abdominal pain and typical signs of acute pancreatitis. ⋯ Hence we assumed a spontaneous rupture. The reported case demonstrates that in acute pancreatitis and signs of shock it is necessary to rule out rupture of the spleen e.g. via ultrasound and abdominal CT scan. If there are signs of spleenic rupture, the only therapy of this life-threatening complication is instant operation to save patient's life.