[Splenic injury after colonoscopy: a retrospective study and review of the literature]. / Milzverletzung nach Koloskopie. Eine retrospektive Studie und Analyse der Literatur.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The increasing number of preventive screening investigations in the course of obtaining early diagnosis of colon cancer, has been leading to an increase in the number of colonoscopies in Germany. Splenic injury is one of the complications to be aware of, if postinterventional abdominal symptoms occur. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was based on the answers to questionnaires sent to 220 members of the Working Party of Leading Hospital-Based Gastroenterologists. The response rate was 40%. RESULTS: Thirteen of the gastroenterologists reported a total of 16 splenic injuries, a rate of about one injury per 87,000 (about 0.001 %) this compares to a worldwide published splenic injury rate of 0.004 %. But the actual numbers are probably higher in Germany as well. CONCLUSIONS: In order to obtain a more exact complication rate in the future, splenic injuries should be reported centrally. This is possible by sending a report of the complication by e-mail to splenicinjury_colonoscopy@web.de.