Spontaneous splenic rupture as the initial manifestation of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: immunophenotype and cytogenetics.

Spontaneous splenic rupture is a rare, though life-threatening complication of some hematological malignancies and is even more infrequent as the initial symptom of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. We describe the fourth case, to our knowledge, of acute lymphoblastic leukemia presenting as splenic rupture, and for the first time the immunophenotype and cytogenetic pattern observed.