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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffTests and procedures used to diagnose a ruptured spleen include:
- A physical exam. During a physical exam your doctor will use his or her hands to place pressure on your abdomen to determine the size of your spleen and whether you're experiencing any abdominal tenderness.
- Drawing fluid from your abdomen. Your doctor may use a needle to draw a sample of fluid from your abdomen. If the sample reveals blood in your abdomen, you may be referred for emergency treatment.
- Imaging tests of your abdomen. If your diagnosis isn't clear, your doctor may recommend an abdominal computerized tomography (CT) scan or another imaging test to identify or rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.
References
- Shurin SB. The spleen and its disorders. In: Hoffman R, et al. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06715-0..X5001-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-443-06715-0&uniq=210978719. Accessed Oct. 13, 2010.
- Landaw SA, et al. Approach to the adult patient with splenomegaly and other splenic disorders. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 13, 2010.
- Isenhour J, et al. General approach to blunt abdominal trauma in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 13, 2010.
- Clinical policy: Critical issues in the evaluation of adult patients presenting to the emergency department with acute blunt abdominal trauma. Irving, Texas: American College of Emergency Physicians. http://www.acep.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=8808. Accessed Oct. 13, 2010.
- Practice management guidelines for the nonoperative management of blunt injury to the liver and spleen. Chicago, Ill.: Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. http://www.east.org/tpg/livspleen.pdf. Accessed Oct. 13, 2010.
- Patient information for laparoscopic spleen removal (splenectomy) from SAGES. Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. http://www.sages.org/sagespublication.php?doc=PI12. Accessed Oct. 13, 2010.
- Schooley RT. Epstein-Barr virus infection. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/201609212-3/0/1492/0.html. Accessed Oct. 18, 2010.
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