Rupture of the spleen or splenic vessels (splenic emergency syndrome) in late pregnancy: A report of two autopsy cases

Emergencies of splenic origin in pregnancy involving rupture of the splenic artery or hemorrhage are rare events that can present suddenly and unexpectedly. We report two cases of young women, both in the third trimester of gestation, who suffered sudden malaise while at home and were admitted to the ER. On arrival, both were in severe hemorrhagic shock due to gross hemoperitoneum and they died in the operating theatre during emergency surgery. To better clarify the causes and sequence of these mortalities, forensic autopsy was requested in each case. In the first (a 26-year-old primigravida in the 40th week of pregnancy), cadaveric section demonstrated the rupture of an aneurysm of the splenic artery. In the second (a 28-year-old multipara in the 33rd week of pregnancy), the clinical and anatomopathological data suggested splenic hemorrhage. In both cases histology showed a fibrodysplasia of the arterial wall involving the splenic artery in one case and the hilar branches in the other. In agreement with the data in literature, in such cases particular importance must be attributed to examination of the arterial wall. In pregnancy a synergic effect between hemodynamic and endocrine factors can cause degeneration of the arteries resulting in dramatic hemorrhage. From the forensic pathologist's viewpoint, these cases underline the importance of histopathological study of the splenic artery in the interpretation of the pathogenesis of splenic vessel rupture or hemorrhage.