CT Detection of Iatrogenic Percutaneous Splenic Injury

Although the potential for splenic injury during left sided thoracentesis or percutaneous renal biopsy is well known, its occurrence has been rarely reported. In a 1 year period we used computed tomography to detect acute splenic, perisplenic, and intraperitoneal hemorrhage in three patients after percutaneous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in the lower chest and upper abdomen. One patient was asymptomatic, the second developed left upper quadrant pain, and the third required emergency splenectomy.