Death occurs immediately after traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta 75%–90% of the time since bleeding is so severe, and 80–85% of patients die before arriving at a hospital. Of those who live to reach a hospital, 23% die at the time of or shortly after arrival. In the US, an estimated 7,500–8,000 cases occur yearly, of which 1,000–1,500 make it to a hospital alive; these low numbers make it difficult to estimate the efficacy of surgical options. However, if surgery is performed in time, it can offer a chance of survival.

Though there is a concern that a small, stable tear in the aorta could enlarge and cause complete rupture of the aorta and heavy bleeding, this may be less common than previously believed as long as the patient's blood pressure does not get too high.

Mortality from aortic rupture is up to 90%. 65–75% of patients die before they arrive at hospital and up to 90% die before they reach the operating room.

The most common cause of a ruptured spleen is blunt abdominal trauma, such as in traffic collisions or sports accidents. Direct, penetrating injuries, for example, stab or gunshot wounds are rare.

Non-traumatic causes are less common. These include infectious diseases, medical procedures such as colonoscopy, haematological diseases, medications, and pregnancy.

In less than one percent of cases of infectious mononucleosis splenic rupture may occur.

A rectus sheath hematoma is an accumulation of blood in the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle. It causes abdominal pain with or without a mass.

The hematoma may be caused by either rupture of the epigastric artery or by a muscular tear. Causes of this include anticoagulation, coughing, pregnancy, abdominal surgery and trauma. With an ageing population and the widespread use of anticoagulant medications, there is evidence that this historically benign condition is becoming more common and more serious.

On abdominal examination, people may have a positive Carnett's sign.

Most hematomas resolve without treatment, but they may take several months to resolve.

Diaphragmatic injuries are present in 1–7% of people with significant blunt trauma and an average of 3% of abdominal injuries.

A high body mass index may be associated with a higher risk of diaphragmatic rupture in people involved in vehicle accidents. It is rare for the diaphragm alone to be injured, especially in blunt trauma; other injuries are associated in as many as 80–100% of cases. In fact, if the diaphragm is injured, it is an indication that more severe injuries to organs may have occurred. Thus, the mortality after a diagnosis of diaphragmatic rupture is 17%, with most deaths due to lung complications. Common associated injuries include head injury, injuries to the aorta, fractures of the pelvis and long bones, and lacerations of the liver and spleen. Associated injuries occur in over three quarters of cases.

A significant complication of diaphragmatic rupture is traumatic diaphragmatic herniation: organs such as the stomach that herniate into the chest cavity and may be strangulated, losing their blood supply. Herniation of abdominal organs is present in 3–4% of people with abdominal trauma who present to a trauma center.

If diagnosed within the first few hours of presentation, the pooling blood may be evacuated using a syringe. Once the blood has clotted, removal by this method is no longer possible and the clot can be removed via an incision over the lump under local anesthetic. The incision is not stitched, but will heal very well. Care needs to be taken in regard to bleeding from the wound and possible infection with fecal bacteria. If left alone it will usually heal within a few days or weeks. The topical application of a cream containing a Heparinoid is often advised to clear the clot .

The exact causes of the degenerative process remain unclear. There are, however, some hypotheses and well-defined risk factors.

- Tobacco smoking: More than 90% of people who develop an AAA have smoked at some point in their lives.

- Alcohol and hypertension: The inflammation caused by prolonged use of alcohol and hypertensive effects from abdominal edema which leads to hemorrhoids, esophageal varices, and other conditions, is also considered a long-term cause of AAA.

- Genetic influences: The influence of genetic factors is high. AAA is four to six times more common in male siblings of known patients, with a risk of 20-30%. The high familial prevalence rate is most notable in male individuals. There are many hypotheses about the exact genetic disorder that could cause higher incidence of AAA among male members of the affected families. Some presumed that the influence of alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency could be crucial, while other experimental works favored the hypothesis of X-linked mutation, which would explain the lower incidence in heterozygous females. Other hypotheses of genetic causes have also been formulated. Connective tissue disorders, such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, have also been strongly associated with AAA. Both relapsing polychondritis and pseudoxanthoma elasticum may cause abdominal aortic aneurysm.

- Atherosclerosis: The AAA was long considered to be caused by atherosclerosis, because the walls of the AAA frequently carry an atherosclerotic burden. However, this hypothesis cannot be used to explain the initial defect and the development of occlusion, which is observed in the process.

- Other causes of the development of AAA include: infection, trauma, arteritis, and cystic medial necrosis.

The injury is usually caused by high speed impacts such as those that occur in vehicle collisions and serious falls. It may be due to different rates of deceleration of the heart and the aorta, which is in a fixed position.

Perianal hematoma are caused by the rupture of a small vein that drains blood from the anus. This rupture may be the result of forceful or strained bowel movement or caused by heavy lifting, coughing or straining. Once the rupture has formed, blood quickly pools within a few hours and, if left untreated, forms a clot.

Emergency exploratory laparotomy with cesarean delivery accompanied by fluid and blood transfusion are indicated for the management of uterine rupture. Depending on the nature of the rupture and the condition of the patient, the uterus may be either repaired or removed (cesarean hysterectomy). Delay in management places both mother and child at significant risk.

The spleen is an organ in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen that filters blood by removing old or damaged blood cells and platelets. While not essential to sustain life, the spleen performs protective immunological functions in the body. It also helps the immune system by destroying bacteria and other foreign substances by opsonization and phagocytosis, and by producing antibodies. It also stores approximately 33 percent of all platelets in the body.

Complications such as rupture or other life-threatening conditions are rare. Treatment may involve surgery, particularly when signs indicating worsening are present (the patient is unable to control their pain or changes in blood pressure).

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends a single screening ultrasound for abdominal aortic aneurysm in males age 65 to 75 years who have a history of smoking. There is an estimated number needed to screen of approximately 850 people. It is unclear if screening is useful in women aged 65 to 75 who have smoked and they recommend against screening in women who have never smoked.

Repeat ultrasounds should be carried out in those who have an aortic size greater than 3.0 cm. In those whose aorta is between 3.0 and 3.9 cm this should be every three years, if between 4.0 and 4.4 cm every two year, and if between 4.5 and 5.4 cm every year.

In the United Kingdom one time screening is recommended in all males over 65 years of age. Australia has no guideline on screening.

A uterine scar from a previous cesarean section is the most common risk factor. (In one review, 52% had previous cesarean scars.) Other forms of uterine surgery that result in full-thickness incisions (such as a myomectomy), dysfunctional labor, labor augmentation by oxytocin or prostaglandins, and high parity may also set the stage for uterine rupture. In 2006, an extremely rare case of uterine rupture in a first pregnancy with no risk factors was reported.

90% of ruptured testes are successfully repaired when treated surgically within 72 hours; the percentage of successful treatment drops to 45% after this period. Though not typically fatal, testicular rupture can cause hypogonadism, low self-esteem, and infertility.

A penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU) is an atherosclerotic lesion that ulcerates, leading to a hematoma forming within the walls of the aorta.

With the exception of a few case reports describing survival without surgery, the mortality of untreated Boerhaave syndrome is nearly 100%. Its treatment includes immediate antibiotic therapy to prevent mediastinitis and sepsis, surgical repair of the perforation, and if there is significant fluid loss it should be replaced with IV fluid therapy since oral rehydration is not possible. Even with early surgical intervention (within 24 hours) the risk of death is 25%.

Esophageal rupture in Boerhaave syndrome is thought to be the result of a sudden rise in internal esophageal pressure produced during vomiting, as a result of neuromuscular incoordination causing failure of the cricopharyngeus muscle (a sphincter within the esophagus) to relax. As the intra-oesophageal pressure increases, the bolus within the oesophagus has nowhere to go superiorly (as the cricopharyngeus fails to relax) which causes the oesophagus to rupture. (this makes little sense and should be justified if true: the lesion is down, the cricopharyngeus is up). The syndrome is commonly associated with the consumption of excessive food and/or alcohol as well as eating disorders such as bulimia.

The most common anatomical location of the tear in Boerhaave syndrome is at left posterolateral wall of the lower third of the esophagus, 2–3 cm before the stomach.

Currently, the most common cause of esophageal perforation is iatrogenic. However, iatrogenic perforations, while still constituting a serious medical condition, are easier to treat and less prone to complications, particularly mediastinitis and sepsis. This is because they usually do not involve contamination of the mediastinum with gastric contents.

Blunt splenic trauma most often occurs in automobile accident victims, in which it is a leading cause of internal bleeding. However, any type of major impact directed to the spleen may cause splenic trauma. This can happen in bicycling accidents, when the handlebar is forced into the left subcostal margin, and into the spleen. The degree of injury ranges from subcapsular hematoma, to splenic rupture.

Mortality of IIA is high, unruptured IIA are associated with a mortality reaching 30%, while ruptured IIA has a mortality of up to 80%. IIAs caused by fungal infections have a worse prognosis than those caused by bacterial infection.

IIAs are uncommon, accounting for 2.6% to 6% of all intracranial aneurysms in autopsy studies.

The incidence of myocardial rupture has decreased in the era of urgent revascularization and aggressive pharmacological therapy for the treatment of an acute myocardial infarction. However, the decrease in the incidence of myocardial rupture is not uniform; there is a slight increase in the incidence of rupture if thrombolytic agents are used to abort a myocardial infarction. On the other hand, if primary percutaneous coronary intervention is performed to abort the infarction, the incidence of rupture is significantly lowered. The incidence of myocardial rupture if PCI is performed in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction is about 1 percent.

Blunt splenic trauma occurs when a significant impact to the spleen from some outside source (i.e. automobile accident) damages or ruptures the spleen. Treatment varies depending on severity, but often consists of embolism or splenectomy.

The most common cause of aortic rupture is a ruptured aortic aneurysm. Other causes include trauma and iatrogenic (procedure-related) causes.