Fatal rupture of an undiagnosed aneurysm of the splenic artery-Medico-legal implications

Aneurysms of the visceral arteries are a rather common feature appearing in 0.1–2% of the population. The clinical relevance of those anomalies varies a lot. The wide range of descriptions reaches from asymptomatic cases to fatalities in particular due to haemorrhages. The latter will be discussed in a case report concerning a 60-year-old man who collapsed at his work place and died 4 h after admission to the intensive care unit of a hospital nearby. The ruptured aneurysm remained undiagnosed in hospital and was found by autopsy. The case is presented and discussed in view of medico-legal questions.