Acute Abdomen After Ectopic Spleen Torsion as an Unusual Cause of Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department

Ectopic spleen is a rare disease, characterized by increased mobility of the spleen due to the absence or laxity of its suspensory ligaments, which can lead to torsion of its pedicle and cause acute abdomen. We present the case of a 29-year-old woman who attends the emergency department with abdominal pain of seven months of evolution and located in the left iliac fossa, which has worsened in the last 48 hours. An ultrasound was performed in the emergency department (point-of-care), which showed, next to its hilum, an image consistent with ectopic spleen, located in the lower third of the abdomen near the bladder and uterus, and free fluid. Computed axial tomography confirmed the diagnosis of pedicle torsion. Emergency laparotomy was performed and the spleen was located inside the pelvis with torsion of the pedicle. Splenectomy was performed before a non-viable spleen. Histology showed diffuse thrombotic changes with ischemic and hemorrhagic infarcts of the spleen. Despite its low prevalence, the ectopic spleen should be taken into account when making the differential diagnosis in those women at childbearing age who come to the clinic for abdominal pain or pelvic mass.