Abstract

Background: Wandering spleen (WS) is a rare clinical condition which may cause fatal complication like torsion with subsequent infarction. Determination of splenic parenchyma viability is very important in deciding whether splenopexy rather than splenectomy is an option. Contrast- enhanced computed tomography (CECT) is important for the diagnosis of WS and assessment of the viability of spleen.

Discussion: We reviewed the CT studies of four cases with WS. We measured the mean splenic and liver density and calculated liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio (LSAR). We also assessed the CT findings for each patient. Mean splenic density was measured as 40.77 Hounsfield Unit (HU) in cases with infarction, 127.1 HU in case without infarction. LSAR was calculated as 2.55 in cases with infarction, 0.99 in case without infarction. We detected whirlpool sign, intraperitoneal free fluid, splenic arterial enhancement in all patient, parenchymal and splenic vein enhancement in one patient without infarction, fat rim sign in three patients with infarction, capsular rim sign in one patient with infarction.

Conclusion: CECT should be obtained for the diagnosis of WS and assessment of the viability of spleen. CECT could suggest the diagnosis of infarction of the spleen with following findings; absence of parenchymal enhancement, very low density of spleen (<45 HU), and LSAR which is greater than 2.

Keywords: Wandering spleen, torsion, infarction, computed tomography, density, splenectomy, splenopexy.

Graphical Abstract