Abdominal pregnancy with placenta inserted in the spleen left in situ causing subphrenic abscess

Abstract

Abdominal pregnancy appears once in 3000 pregnancies. It usually terminates with abortion and urgent surgery. Thanks to ultrasonography and computed tomography the diagnosis is possible before surgery. Most frequently the diagnosis has been established during emergency laparotomy. Gynaecologists are not in agreement wheather removal of placenta is mandatory or not, as it may include removal of parts or entire organs or may be followed with serious bleeding difficult to control. We present a 21-year old woman in whom during an urgent laparotomy performed for abdominal pregnancy placenta inserted in the spleen was left in situ. Postoperatively the patient developed subphrenic abscess which could not be solved without reoperation during which both the placenta and the spleen were removed. Ten years after surgery she is symptom-free.