Introduction: Spontaneous splenic hematomas are uncommon and frequently associated with infectious, hematologic, or neoplastic diseases. Presentation is typically acute but progressive forms have been described.
Case: We report the case of a 45-year-old man consulting for abdominal pain that was found to be due to a spontaneous splenic hematoma. No recent injuries, infections, or hematologic, neoplastic or gastrointestinal diseases were found, but the patient had had a minor injury 9 months earlier and had been treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (venlafaxine) for the past year. This history suggested that the drug might play a role.
Discussion: Although the likely cause of this splenic hematoma appears to be a minor injury 9 months before the onset of pain, we cannot rule out the possibility that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment was a predisposing factor.