What is a reliable CT scan for diagnosing splenosis under emergency conditions

• Published in: World journal of gastroenterology : WJG 2009-08, Vol.15 (29), p.3684-3686
• Main Authors: Garaci, Francesco Giuseppe, Grande, Michele, Villa, Massimo, Mancino, Stefano, Konda, Daniel, Attinà, Grazia Maria, Galatà, Gabriele, Simonetti, Giovanni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Case Report; Contrast Media; CT图像; CT扫描; Emergency Service, Hospital - standards; Humans; Iohexol - analogs & derivatives; Male; Splenosis - diagnostic imaging; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Young Adult; 扫描显示; 紧急情况; 肠梗阻; 计算机断层扫描
• ISSN: 1007-9327; 2219-2840
• DOI: 10.3748/wjg.15.3684

Splenosis is a condition in which splenic tissue is present in a non-anatomical position. Implants of splenic tissue can mimic neoplasms and only specific examinations can confirm the correct diagnosis. Here we report a case of a 23-year-old male patient with a history of surgical splenectomy during childhood after trauma, He was admitted to the emergency department with acute bowel obstruction. An abdominalpelvic computed tomography （CT） scan revealed small bowel obstruction and the presence of two rounded, solid masses located in the rectal-vescical pouch. Quantitative analyses of the different density values in the arterial phase and early portal venous phase demonstrated that these lesions were highly vascularised （92 and 97 Hounsfield Units, respectively）. The hypothesis of an ectopic splenic mass was made after evaluation of the CT images and clinical history. The acute bowel obstruction caused by adhesive intestinal syndrome was resolved by surgical adhesiolysis. The smallest mass adherent to the rectum was removed. Histopathologic examination confirmed the benign nature of the lesion, which consisted of splenic tissue.