A hematoma located within the splenic parenchyma.

• A. Intraparenchymal hematoma
• B. Subcapsular hematoma
• C. Intraperitoneal hematoma
• D. Subcapsular rupture

Answer: (A)

Bleeding that remains inside the splenic tissue is described as an intraparenchymal hematoma. The spleen’s parenchyma is the functional tissue within the capsule, so when a hematoma forms within that tissue, it is located intraparenchymally. This is distinct from a subcapsular hematoma, which collects between the capsule and the underlying parenchyma, and from an intraperitoneal hematoma, which lies in the peritoneal cavity around the spleen. The term subcapsular rupture isn’t used to describe a location within the parenchyma. In ultrasound, an intraparenchymal hematoma appears as a focal splenic lesion within the tissue, with echotexture that may change as the hematoma ages.