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Peritoneal splenosis mimicking carcinomatosis


Faten Limaiem
Rahma Ayadi
Ghada Sahraoui
Saadia Bouraoui
Ahlem Lahmar
Sabeh Mzabi

Abstract

Splenosis is an uncommon benign condition resulting from heterotopic autotransplantation of splenic tissues onto exposed vascularised intra- and extraperitoneal surfaces following splenic trauma and surgeries. Splenosis may be mistaken for carcinomatosis upon standard imaging techniques. A 69-year-old female patient with a past medical history of hypertension and splenic trauma, underwent total esophagectomy with polar gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia. Macroscopic examination of the surgical specimen disclosed a tumour of the cardia measuring 5 cm in greatest diameter and several dark brown nodules of the greater omentum ranging in size between 2 mm and 12 mm. Histological examination of these nodules confirmed the diagnosis of peritoneal splenosis. The authors emphasize that in patients with a previous history of splenic trauma or surgery, clinicians must consider the existence of splenosis.

Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 23

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eISSN: 1937-8688