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Journal of Surgical Case Reports Feb 2024The phenomenon of a wandering spleen is rare with few published case reports. The cases published in the literature mainly result from acquired or congenital laxity of...
The phenomenon of a wandering spleen is rare with few published case reports. The cases published in the literature mainly result from acquired or congenital laxity of the spleen's anchoring ligaments. Our case demonstrates an uncommon complication and possibly the first reported case of an iatrogenic wandering spleen. We present an interesting case of a 51-year-old female patient with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis who underwent robotic-assisted left adrenalectomy for a 10-cm adrenal mass. Postoperatively, she developed uncontrolled pain and gastric distension due to spleen entrapment, leading to an open laparotomy and splenectomy with gastric perforation repair. She made an uneventful recovery. The rarity of iatrogenic wandering spleen as well as our patient's complex medical history, including chronic steroid use, presented unique challenges in postoperative management. This case highlights the importance of thorough perioperative evaluation and careful surgical planning in patients with underlying conditions.
PubMed: 38404444
DOI: 10.1093/jscr/rjae088 -
World Journal of Clinical Cases Oct 2023Wandering spleen is rare clinically. It is characterized by displacement of the spleen in the abdominal and pelvic cavities and can have congenital or acquired causes....
BACKGROUND
Wandering spleen is rare clinically. It is characterized by displacement of the spleen in the abdominal and pelvic cavities and can have congenital or acquired causes. Wandering spleen involves serious complications, such as spleen torsion. The clinical symptoms range from asymptomatic abdominal mass to acute abdominal pain. Surgery is required after diagnosis. Cases of wandering spleen torsion with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) are rare. There is no report on how to eliminate PVT in such cases.
CASE SUMMARY
Ultrasound and computed tomography revealed a diagnosis of wandering spleen torsion with PVT in a 31-year-old woman with a history of childbirth 16 mo previously who received emergency treatment for upper abdominal pain. She recovered well after splenectomy and portal vein thrombectomy combined with continuous anticoagulation, and the PVT disappeared.
CONCLUSION
Rare and nonspecific conditions, such as wandering splenic torsion with PVT, must be diagnosed and treated early. Patients with complete splenic infarction require splenectomy. Anticoagulation therapy and individualized management for PVT is feasible.
PubMed: 37901012
DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i28.6955 -
Radiology Case Reports Nov 2023Wandering spleen manifests when the splenic ligaments are underdeveloped, or become lax, thereby allowing the spleen to relocate from its anatomical site to more distant...
Wandering spleen manifests when the splenic ligaments are underdeveloped, or become lax, thereby allowing the spleen to relocate from its anatomical site to more distant areas. During such movements, torsion of the long splenic peduncle is common, which can lead to symptoms of acute abdomen and further complications such as infarction. It is typically seen in children and young females. Our report presents a case of a 22-year-old female presenting to the ER with complaints of severe pain in the abdominal region. On ultrasound, there was suspicion of an adnexal mass, which was later confirmed to be a misplaced spleen in the lower abdomen, with torsion, fat stranding, and splenic vein thrombosis, as revealed by enhanced CT abdomen and pelvic MRI. It was followed by an emergency splenectomy. As wandering spleen presents nonspecifically and is a rare condition, it is important to consider wandering spleen when patients present similarly to this case, to prevent misdiagnosis and to deliver surgical treatment quickly to preserve the spleen.
PubMed: 37727144
DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2023.08.069 -
International Journal of Surgery Case... Mar 2024Gastric volvulus is an uncommon potentially life-threatening medical condition characterized by rotation of the stomach or part of the stomach around its longitudinal or...
INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE
Gastric volvulus is an uncommon potentially life-threatening medical condition characterized by rotation of the stomach or part of the stomach around its longitudinal or transverse axis. Acute gastric volvulus usually presents with the triads of epigastric pain, nonproductive retching, and inability to pass the nasogastric tube. Diagnosis is assisted with abdominal and chest x-ray and contrast studies.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 53-year-old female presented with abdominal pain of two days duration which started at the epigastric region and later on became diffuse all over the abdomen. She had associated frequent episodes of vomiting which were initially bilious followed by nonproductive retching and low-grade intermittent fever. Abdominal examination showed a distended, diffusely tender abdomen with an ill-defined epigastric mass. Abdominal X-ray showed central abdominal circular opacity continuous with stomach outline. Intraoperative findings revealed perforated gangrenous mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus and splenopancreatic torsion with wandering spleen. Proximal subtotal gastrectomy with esophagogastric anastomosis and splenopexy was performed. The patient was discharged on the 10th postoperative day and had an uneventful post-operative recovery.
CLINICAL DISCUSSION
Primary gastric volvulus is usually mesenteroaxial with the pylorus commonly rotating anteriorly. Primary gastric volvulus can be associated with congenital asplenia and wandering spleen as both conditions are characterized by absent or loose ligamentous attachments. This case was a mesenteroaxial volvulus with splenopancreatic torsion with a wandering spleen caused by abnormal ligamentous attachments.
CONCLUSION
A high index of suspicion for early diagnosis of gastric volvulus and timely intervention is required to improve treatment outcome.
PubMed: 38308980
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2024.109338 -
Cureus Feb 2024Wandering spleen, or hypermobile spleen, arises from the elongation or maldevelopment of the spleen's suspensory ligaments. This condition is a rare clinical entity,...
Wandering spleen, or hypermobile spleen, arises from the elongation or maldevelopment of the spleen's suspensory ligaments. This condition is a rare clinical entity, primarily affecting children, with a higher prevalence among adult females in the active reproductive age group. Manifestations may include an asymptomatic abdominal mass or intermittent abdominal discomfort due to the torsion and subsequent spontaneous detorsion of the spleen. This case report details the presentation of a 14-year-old female initially misdiagnosed as having gastroenteritis who later experienced acute abdomen. Subsequent ultrasonography and computed tomography scan revealed splenic torsion, confirmed during exploratory laparotomy, which demonstrated an infarcted spleen. The definitive therapeutic intervention was a total splenectomy. This clinical entity should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain in order to aid in early diagnosis and management. This could allow us to avoid splenectomy whenever possible and instead do splenopexy, especially in pediatric cases, as the spleen plays a crucial role in the reticuloendothelial system.
PubMed: 38445142
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53552 -
Cureus Dec 2023The report highlights a rare instance of colonic volvulus due to a wandering spleen. Wandering spleen is characterized by the displacement of the spleen due to absent or...
The report highlights a rare instance of colonic volvulus due to a wandering spleen. Wandering spleen is characterized by the displacement of the spleen due to absent or weakened ligaments due to congenital factors or acquired factors such as pregnancy or prior surgery leading to ligament disruption. The 26-year-old patient presented with severe abdominal pain and distention, leading to a diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus secondary to the wandering spleen. This case underscores the importance of considering the wandering spleen in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen, especially in patients with a surgical history of gastric sleeve resection. The article emphasizes the critical role of imaging in diagnosis and the necessity of timely surgical intervention to prevent severe complications. The case contributes to a broader understanding of the wandering spleen, particularly in post-surgical contexts, highlighting diagnostic challenges and management strategies.
PubMed: 38222125
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.50447 -
Clinical and Experimental... 2023Gastric volvulus is an uncommon clinical condition with the potentially life-threatening complication of acute gastric necrosis. A wandering spleen may also be...
Gastric volvulus is an uncommon clinical condition with the potentially life-threatening complication of acute gastric necrosis. A wandering spleen may also be associated with gastric volvulus and can produce a diagnostic dilemma as the cause of an acute abdomen. We present a case of an elderly woman who presented with acute abdominal symptoms. She did not have the classical Borchardt triad to diagnose gastric volvulus and had a coexisting wandering spleen. Although torsion and ischemia of the wandering spleen were initially thought to be the cause of acute abdomen, a subsequent contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) scan confirmed a coexistent mesenteric-axial gastric volvulus with gangrenous changes. We present this case to highlight a rare combination of pathologies, either of which can confuse the diagnosis or cause a delay in management. Early diagnosis with CECT is emphasized, and segmental resection is feasible when the rest of the viscus can be preserved.
PubMed: 37904894
DOI: 10.2147/CEG.S428679 -
Radiology Case Reports Jul 2024Wandering spleen is a rare condition in children that is often caused by the loss or weakening of the splenic ligaments. Its clinical presentation is variable; 64% of...
Wandering spleen is a rare condition in children that is often caused by the loss or weakening of the splenic ligaments. Its clinical presentation is variable; 64% of children with wandering spleen have splenic torsion as a complication. A 13-year-old boy who had been showing abdominal pain in the hypogastric region accompanied by vomit and an enormous tumefaction in the suprapubic region came to our observation. Considering the ovoid morphology at ultrasound exam, the echostructure and the marked reduction of parenchymal vascularization, suspicion for torsion of an ectopic spleen arose. Ultrasound evaluation has a primary role in the diagnosis of a suspected wandering spleen and, to avoid potentially life-threatening complications, immediate surgery is often times required.
PubMed: 38689812
DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2024.03.004 -
International Journal of Surgery Case... Nov 2023Wandering spleen (WS) is a clinical entity in which the spleen is not located in its normal anatomical site. Few cases have been reported, mainly in women of...
INTRODUCTION
Wandering spleen (WS) is a clinical entity in which the spleen is not located in its normal anatomical site. Few cases have been reported, mainly in women of childbearing age. This condition can be congenital or acquired due to excessive elasticity of the spleen's suspensory ligaments. WS may cause acute complications requiring emergency surgery, especially related to the rotation of its vascular pedicle, leading to chronic or acute ischemia. The aim of the present case is to show a rare complication of WS, small bowel obstruction (SBO), and its management.
PRESENTATION OF CASE
We report the case of a 40-year-old female presenting with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. CT scan showed SBO caused by WS located in the pelvis with an enlarged spleen vascular pedicle (SVP). Laparoscopic exploration, splenectomy, small bowel resection and anastomosis were performed.
DISCUSSION
WS may cause chronic or acute complications, mainly linked with enlargement and torsion of SVP, including acute ischemia and spleen necrosis, or compression of the near organs such as small intestine, stomach, pancreas. The diagnosis is based on physical examination, CT scan and blood exams. Generally, the WS's treatment is laparoscopic splenectomy or splenopexy. In case of vital spleen, splenopexy can be performed, in case of not vital spleen, splenectomy should be preferred.
CONCLUSION
This case provides an excellent example of SBO related to WS. In the video, the management of this complex situation is shown. In these cases, splenectomy represents a valuable option.
PubMed: 37839258
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.108961 -
Journal of Medical Case Reports May 2024Wandering spleen is a rare clinical entity in which the spleen is hypermobile and migrate from its normal left hypochondriac position to any other abdominal or pelvic... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Wandering spleen is a rare clinical entity in which the spleen is hypermobile and migrate from its normal left hypochondriac position to any other abdominal or pelvic position as a result of absent or abnormal laxity of the suspensory ligaments (Puranik in Gastroenterol Rep 5:241, 2015, Evangelos in Am J Case Rep. 21, 2020) which in turn is due to either congenital laxity or precipitated by trauma, pregnancy, or connective tissue disorder (Puranik in Gastroenterol Rep 5:241, 2015, Jawad in Cureus 15, 2023). It may be asymptomatic and accidentally discovered for imaging done for other reasons or cause symptoms as a result of torsion of its pedicle and infarction or compression on adjacent viscera on its new position. It needs to be surgically treated upon discovery either by splenopexy or splectomy based on whether the spleen is mobile or not.
CASE PRESENTATION
We present a case of 39 years old female Ethiopian patient who presented to us complaining constant lower abdominal pain especially on the right side associated with swelling of one year which got worse over the preceding few months of her presentation to our facility. She is primiparous with delivery by C/section and a known case of HIV infection on HAART. Physical examination revealed a right lower quadrant well defined, fairly mobile and slightly tender swelling. Hematologic investigations are unremarkable. Imaging with abdominopelvic U/S and CT-scan showed a predominantly cystic, hypo attenuating right sided pelvic mass with narrow elongated attachment to pancreatic tail and absent spleen in its normal position. CT also showed multiple different sized purely cystic lesions all over both kidneys and the pancreas compatible with AD polycystic kidney and pancreatic disease. With a diagnosis of wandering possibly infarcted spleen, she underwent laparotomy, the finding being a fully infarcted spleen located on the right half of the upper pelvis with twisted pedicle and dense adhesions to the adjacent distal ileum and colon. Release of adhesions and splenectomy was done. Her post-operative course was uneventful.
CONCLUSION
Wandering spleen is a rare clinical condition that needs to be included in the list of differential diagnosis in patients presenting with lower abdominal and pelvic masses. As we have learnt from our case, a high index of suspicion is required to detect it early and intervene by doing splenopexy and thereby avoiding splenectomy and its related complications.
Topics: Humans; Female; Wandering Spleen; Adult; Abdominal Pain; Splenectomy; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Pelvic Pain; Spleen
PubMed: 38790071
DOI: 10.1186/s13256-024-04580-6