Rupture of the Spleen Secondary to Actinomycosis

CASES of traumatic1,2and spontaneous3,4rupture of the pathological spleen are frequently encountered.5,6Rupture of the spleen has been reported with acute7and chronic8pancreatitis, acute sepsis9,10(typhoid fever, typhus), viral hepatitis,11infectious mononucleosis,12the parasites causing malaria,9kala-azar,10and echinococcosis; the spirochetal diseases of leptospirosis, syphilis, and yaws, in tuberculosis, in sarcoidosis,13in Gaucher's disease,14amyloidosis, in thrombocytopenic purpura, acute and chronic leukemia,15erythroblastosis fetalis,16in autohemolytic anemia,1congestive splenomegaly,17infarcts, splenic congenital anomalies, and also during labor.18,19 We were able to find only one proven case of spontaneous rupture of the spleen due to actinomycosis found at the Mayo Clinic.20Harrison21previously stated that actinomycosis is encountered in the spleen, however, a review of Harrison's references reveal a case produced byActinobacillus22and another produced byActinomyces graminis