A Case of Spontaneous Bladder Rupture in an Elderly Man

Abstract

Spontaneous bladder rupture is less common than traumatic bladder rupture, but its incidence reportedly increases with aging. We encountered a case of spontaneous bladder rupture in a 101-year-old man. The patient visited our emergency department because of vomiting and a prominent lower abdominal pain. A ruptured bladder was found on a computed tomography examination, and we diagnosed the patient as having a spontaneous bladder rupture. We repaired the wound through an emergency surgery and enforced cystostomy. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was transferred to another hospital 22 days postoperatively. The cause of the bladder rupture was thought to be the patient’s advanced age and chronic urinary retention resulting from prostatic hypertrophy. Since Japan is an aging society, the incidence of spontaneous bladder rupture is expected to increase in the near future. Bladder rupture should be considered as a possible cause of abdominal pain in older adults.