[Atraumatic rupture of the spleen: experience of 10 cases].

The most common cause of splenic rupture is trauma. Less frequently the spleen ruptures due to an ongoing hematologic, infectious or tumoral disease (pathologic rupture). We present a series of 10 patients with atraumatic splenic rupture: in seven patients there was a pathologic rupture. Two of the remaining three patients with spontaneous rupture were morbidly obese; this association has not previously been reported. The present review discusses the etiology, pathogenesis and optimal treatment of this entity.