Left lower quadrant pain: an unlikely diagnosis in a case of acute abdomen

Abstract

Splenic infarct is an incredibly rare diagnosis for abdominal pain. One study involving two hospitals over ten years describes only 0.0037% of all hospital admissions presenting with splenic infarction. Our report describes a case of massive splenomegaly causing pain in a different location compared to the normal anatomical location of the spleen with an unexpected cause, lymphoma. High clinical suspicion for lymphoma as a cause of splenic infarction is critical because this disease can otherwise be clinically silent. This case emphasizes the importance of a thorough clinical workup and persistence in diagnostic pursuit.

Septic Shock and Spontaneous Gangrenous Gas Necrosis of the Spleen Secondary to Clostridium perfringens: The Importance of Source Control

“…Although the exact etiology is unknown, we postulate that she experienced autoinfarction of her spleen from rapid growth which ultimately created an anaerobic environment where translocation of Clostridium perfringens from the gastrointestinal tract could migrate and proliferate. Such autoinfarction of the spleen in the setting of a hematological malignancy has been previously reported [ 11 ].…”