Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffA ruptured spleen describes an emergency situation in which your spleen develops a break in its surface. Your spleen, located just under your rib cage on your left side, helps your body fight infection and filter old blood cells from your bloodstream.
A ruptured spleen is a serious condition that can occur when your spleen experiences a trauma. With enough force, a blow to your abdomen — during a sporting mishap, a fistfight or a car crash, for example — might lead to a ruptured spleen. Without emergency treatment, a ruptured spleen can cause life-threatening internal bleeding.
Though some ruptured spleens require emergency surgery, others with ruptured spleens can be treated with several days of hospital care.
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