title: Clinical presentation of wandering spleen.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wandering spleen (WS) is an uncommon condition with a variety of clinical presentations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical files of 5 children who underwent operation for WS in the authors' department during the period 1996 through 2000 were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Splenic salvage procedures (retroperitoneal splenopexy) were performed in 4 patients. One patient underwent splenectomy because of splenic necrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early diagnosis and surgical treatment is mandatory to prevent complications. Every effort should be made to preserve the spleen, especially among the pediatric population, and splenopexy is the procedure of choice even in the asymptomatic patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery and Imaging Institute, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: Boaz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karmazyn
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dlugy
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gelber
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Freud
authors.forename: Gadi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Horev
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008022:Ligaments / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery