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Cureus Jan 2023The spleen is typically located in the left upper quadrant and is held in position by the suspensory ligaments, which include the gastrosplenic ligament, the splenorenal...
The spleen is typically located in the left upper quadrant and is held in position by the suspensory ligaments, which include the gastrosplenic ligament, the splenorenal ligament, and the phrenicocolic ligament. Abnormalities within these ligaments result in the mobility of the spleen, so it may be located in the pelvis or iliac region, which is termed a wandering spleen. We present a case of a middle-aged man who presented to the emergency department with generalized abdominal pain and diffuse guarding and tenderness. The patient had a previous history of peptic ulcer disease and multiple emergency department visits for gastritis. Given the assumed diagnosis of perforated viscus, the patient underwent a computed tomography scan that demonstrated the absence of the spleen in its usual location and showed an ectopic pelvic spleen. The patient underwent successful surgical treatment with splenopexy. The wandering spleen is a rare medical condition that presents a clinical diagnostic challenge and requires a high index of suspicion. Despite its rarity, the wandering spleen should be considered in patients with recurrent abdominal pain.
PubMed: 36741617
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.33246 -
Cureus Feb 2023The clinical presentation of a wandering spleen is characterized mainly by unspecific acute symptoms, ranging from diffuse abdominal pain to left upper/lower quadrant...
The clinical presentation of a wandering spleen is characterized mainly by unspecific acute symptoms, ranging from diffuse abdominal pain to left upper/lower quadrant and referred shoulder pain to asymptomatic. This has challenged accelerated medical care and impeded the acquisition of confirmatory diagnosis; therefore, increasing morbidity and mortality risks. Splenectomy is an established operative procedure for a wandering spleen. However, there has not been enough literature emphasizing the clinical history of congenital malformations and surgical corrections as inferential tools for facilitating a decisive and informed procedure. The case presented is of a 22-year-old female who reported to the emergency department with a five-day persistent left upper quadrant and left lower quadrant (LLQ) abdominal pain, associated with nausea. According to the medical history, the patient had a significant history of vertebral defects, anal atresia, cardiac anomalies, tracheoesophageal fistula, renal anomalies, and limb abnormalities (VACTERL) associated with congenital anomalies. By the age of eight years, the patient had undergone multiple surgical interventions, including tetralogy of Fallot repair, an imperforate anal repair with rectal pull-through, Malone antegrade continence enema (MACE), and bowel vaginoplasty. Computed tomography imaging of the abdomen revealed evidence of a wandering spleen in the LLQ with associated torsion of the splenic vasculature (whirl sign). Intra-operatively, appendicostomy was identified extending from the cecum in a near mid-line position, to the umbilicus, and carefully incised distally, preventing injury to the appendicostomy. The spleen was identified in the pelvis, and the individual vessels were clamped, divided, and ligated. Blood loss was minimal with no post-operative complications. This rare case report adds valuable teaching points about the treatment of wandering spleen in individuals with VACTERL anomalies.
PubMed: 37007360
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.35543 -
International Journal of Surgery Case... 2019A wandering spleen is a mobile spleen as a result of deficient splenic peritoneal ligaments and elongation of its vascular pedicle. It is a rare entity affecting mainly...
INTRODUCTION
A wandering spleen is a mobile spleen as a result of deficient splenic peritoneal ligaments and elongation of its vascular pedicle. It is a rare entity affecting mainly young adults commonly females and children, presenting as an asymptomatic abdominal mass or abdominal discomfort due to torsion and de-torsion of the pedicle.
PRESENTATION OF CASE
We report a 35-year-old female presented with intermittent colicky abdominal pain that worsened in severity over three weeks. Diagnostic laparoscopy showed torsion of spleen without infarction. Detorsion and Splenopexy in an extra-peritoneal pouch was performed. Post operatively, the patient recovered well and was healthy at two months follow up.
DISCUSSION
A wandering spleen is either congenital or acquired. The condition results in a long vascular pedicle, which predispose to the torsion resulting in a partial or complete infarct of the spleen. Laparoscopic approach is the preferred technique and de-torsion of the splenic pedicle and splenopexy is a reasonable surgical option, when there is no evidence of infarction of the spleen.
CONCLUSION
The diagnosis of wandering spleen is very rare and extremely difficult to establish and is clinically nonspecific. An early diagnosis and surgical care are required for preserving the spleen. Additional imaging examinations can help establish a diagnosis.
PubMed: 31445501
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2019.06.040 -
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... 2012Several congenital anomalies of the spleen have been reported. The polysplenia is a rare anomaly in which the normal spleen is replaced with two or more smaller spleens....
INTRODUCTION
Several congenital anomalies of the spleen have been reported. The polysplenia is a rare anomaly in which the normal spleen is replaced with two or more smaller spleens. The wandering spleen is another anomaly resulting from the laxity of the splenic ligaments. The concomitance of both anomalies is very rare.
PRESENTATION OF A CASE
A 22-year old female patient presented with intermittent left hypochondrial pain for more than a year. After a thorough examination of the patient, she only had bilateral accessory nipples. Routine laboratory investigations were all normal. An abdominal ultrasound U/S scan was unremarkable except for a ptotic spleen. with a large splenule 5cm×3cm located near the fundus of the stomach. These findings were confirmed by a CT scan. A decision for a surgical intervention was then made, and the laparoscopic approach was chosen which revealed the condition. Laparoscopic removal of the wandering part was executed. The patient discharged on the first post-operative day.
DISCUSSION
The decision making in cases of wandering spleen is not always the same. The association of a wandering spleen with polysplenia is an asset to the surgical decision, along with the age of the patient.
CONCLUSION
The laparoscopic approach is an important tool in the diagnosis and management of wandering spleen. The diagnosis of polysplenic anomaly could provide a guidance for the surgical strategy in patients with wandering spleen.
PubMed: 22382032
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2011.10.020 -
Radiology Case Reports Jul 2022Polysplenia Syndrome is a rare condition that refers to the presence of 2 or more spleens in association with other thoracoabdominal abnormalities. Here, we report a...
Polysplenia Syndrome is a rare condition that refers to the presence of 2 or more spleens in association with other thoracoabdominal abnormalities. Here, we report a case of a 13-year-old girl who presented with acute lower abdominal pain and was diagnosed with polysplenia syndrome after obtaining a CT scan of her chest, abdomen and pelvis. Diagnostic imaging also revealed the presence of a wandering spleen hanging in the lower abdomen and upper pelvic cavity and showing signs of infarction. The patient underwent splenectomy afterward and splenic torsion was confirmed intraoperatively. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first reported case of wandering spleen torsion in a patient with polysplenia syndrome. Physicians should keep in mind the possibility of a wandering spleen torsion presenting in various locations when dealing with polysplenia syndrome patients complaining of abdominal pain.
PubMed: 35570876
DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2022.04.009 -
Journal of Minimal Access Surgery Jan 2024With only seven reported cases until 2019 as noted by Lim et al., cases of a wandering spleen (WS) accompanied by splenic cyst (SC) are exceptionally rare. Furthermore,...
With only seven reported cases until 2019 as noted by Lim et al., cases of a wandering spleen (WS) accompanied by splenic cyst (SC) are exceptionally rare. Furthermore, both entities are notoriously 'silent' until they present as an emergency with complications, often warranting total splenectomy. Management of SC in a WS eventually depends on its clinical presentation, disease type and functional reservoir of the spleen. However, it is desirable to operate electively and perform a spleen salvage with splenic reposition surgery. Our case describes the first totally laparoscopic partial splenectomy and intraperitoneal fixation of the spleen by means of gastropexy for a large non-parasitic SC in a WS. Partial splenectomy instead of just a cystectomy tackles the risk of cyst recurrence, and a gastropexy over other splenic repositioning techniques would allow the spleen to remain as an intraperitoneal organ.
PubMed: 38240265
DOI: 10.4103/jmas.jmas_212_23 -
The Pan African Medical Journal 2022Situs inversus is a rare anomaly characterized by mirror-image location of of thoracic and abdominal organs. It can be associated with several other malformations...
Situs inversus is a rare anomaly characterized by mirror-image location of of thoracic and abdominal organs. It can be associated with several other malformations including common mesentery which is a rare type of malrotation that develops as a result of the rotation of the intestines and with wandering spleen which is a rare anomaly characterized by the unusual position of the spleen in the abdomen and that most often occurs in children. We here report the case of a male patient aged 8 years diagnosed with these three entities. He was admitted with chronic abdominal pain. Ultrasound assessment was performed. Clinical examination showed sensitive pelvic mass. Ultrasound objectified abnormal position of the liver and spleen (the liver in the left hypochondrium and the spleen in the right hypochondrium) and an oval isoechogenic mass characterized by tissue structures within the echo image in the spleen, located in the supravesical fossa, lateralized to the right. CT scan confirmed that the liver occupied both hypochondria, with the hilus and gallbladder found on the midline; the splenic fossa was empty and the supra-vesical pelvic mass was homogeneous, isodense to splenic parenchyma and raised in the same way to the spleen (it was a floating spleen), its arterial vascular pedicle was directly connected to the abdominal aorta. Intestinal rotation abnormality suggesting common mesentery was also objectified.
Topics: Child; Humans; Male; Wandering Spleen; Niger; Situs Inversus; Ultrasonography; Digestive System Abnormalities; Peritoneum; Mesentery
PubMed: 36785695
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2022.43.144.32397 -
BMC Surgery Jun 2021Wandering spleen is a rare clinical entity with a less than 0.2% reporting incidence rate. In this case, the spleen is present abnormally in the abdominal or pelvic...
BACKGROUND
Wandering spleen is a rare clinical entity with a less than 0.2% reporting incidence rate. In this case, the spleen is present abnormally in the abdominal or pelvic cavity instead of its normal anatomical location. The aetiology is either congenital or acquired. The condition is caused by the absence or maldevelopment of the spleen's suspensory ligaments, which holds the spleen static in the left hypochondrium.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 27-year-old female patient presented to the emergency department with complaints of abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, and constipation for three days. A palpable movable mass was found during the physical examination, and torsion of the wandering spleen's pedicle was confirmed by CT scan. Open splenectomy was performed, and the patient was recovered uneventfully.
CONCLUSION
Even though ectopic spleen is a rare disease, clinicians should be aware of its incidence. Early diagnosis in the case of an acute abdomen is vital for the preservation of the spleen. Patients presented with acute abdomen and absence of splenic shadow under left hemidiaphragm should be suspected, and further radiological investigation will confirm the diagnosis. Surgery is the gold standard for wandering spleen with either splenopexy or splenectomy, depending on the spleen's condition during surgery.
Topics: Abdomen, Acute; Adult; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Humans; Splenectomy; Torsion Abnormality; Wandering Spleen
PubMed: 34107944
DOI: 10.1186/s12893-021-01289-x