Splenogonadal fusion: A forgotten cause of testicular swelling in children

Abstract

Splenogonadal fusion is a rare congenital anomaly in which there is fusion of the  spleen and the gonad. This report describes a 25-month-old male child who presented with left scrotal swelling. On exploration, a discontinuous type of splenogonadal fusion was found. It was successfully and completely separated from the testis and removed. The diagnosis of splenogonadal fusion should always be kept in mind and included in the differential diagnosis of testicular swelling in infants and children. Rarely, it is diagnosed preoperatively and physicians caring for these patients should be aware of this. Intraoperatively, it should be recognized and excised. This is to obviate unnecessary orchiectomy, mistaking it for testicular neoplasm.

Keywords: congenital anomalies of gonads, splenogonadal fusion, testicular swelling