Clinical presentation of wandering spleen.
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.
Steinberg
Ran
R
Department of Pediatric Surgery and Imaging Institute, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
Karmazyn
Boaz
B
Dlugy
Elena
E
Gelber
Edgar
E
Freud
Enrique
E
Horev
Gadi
G
Zer
Michael
M
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