Etiologies and risks of splenic decapsulation after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: case report and literature review.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an invasive diagnostic and interventional procedure used in conditions related to the pancreas and biliary tract. It has a complication rate ranging from 4 % to 10 %. Severe complications are few with the most common of them being post-ERCP pancreatitis, post-sphincterotomy bleeding, and perforation. A rare, but potentially life-threatening complication of ERCP is splenic injury. We report the case of a 60-year-old female with choledocholithiasis who sustained splenic decapsulation following ERCP. The exact causes of splenic injury are unknown, although several mechanisms are postulated. A literature review of splenic injuries post-ERCP shows that there are only 3 cases with post-ERCP splenic decapsulation. Our patient is the first one in whom splenic decapsulation occurred without any risk factors or technical difficulties during the procedure. A high index of suspicion for splenic injury is required in any patient who has severe pain, anemia, or hemorrhagic shock after ERCP.