Delayed Splenic Rupture and Pancreatic Pseudocyst Following Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy for a Urolithiasis

ABSTRACT

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has revolutionized the management of urolithiasis since 1980. Although it has proved to be a safe, effective treatment modality, it is not free of complications. As this procedure has become more widely available, complications as a result of injury to the kidney and the surrounding organs are being increasingly recognized. Those reported complications include hepatic hematoma, biliary obstruction, pancreatitis, colonic and splenic injury, bowel perforation, psoas abscess, aortic aneurysm rupture, portal and iliac vein thrombosis, retroperitoneal and brain hemorrhage, gastric erosions, pulmonary contusions and cardiac arrhythmias. Physicians caring for these patients should be mindful of these complications and keep an eye open to spot them. We report here on a case of a young male patient who developed splenic rupture and a pancreatic pseudocyst after undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for treating a left upper ureter stone.