Spontaneous rupture of the spleen: an unusual complication of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Although splenic abnormalities are widely recognised in patients with lupus, spontaneous rupture of the spleen is rare. We describe a patient whose spleen ruptured spontaneously 19 years after the onset of her disease, and compare this case with four others that have been described in the previous literature. Possible contributing factors to this rupture are discussed.