title: CT features of the accessory spleen.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence and CT features of the accessory spleen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Accessory spleens are present in 16% of patients undergoing contrast-enhanced abdominal CT. Typically, accessory spleens appear on CT scans as well-marginated, round masses that are smaller than 2 cm and enhance homogeneously on contrast-enhanced images. When accessory spleens are smaller than 1 cm, their attenuation may be lower than that of the spleen because of partial volume effects. Their most frequent location (22%) is posteromedial to the spleen; anterolateral to the upper pole of the left kidney; and lateral, posterior, and superior to the tail of the pancreas. Familiarity with these characteristic features may differentiate them from other pathologic findings in the upper abdomen.
authors.affiliation: Division of Abdominal Imaging and Intervention, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Boston, MA 02115, USA. kmortele@partners.org
authors.forename: Koenraad J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Mortelé
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mortelé
authors.forename: Stuart G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Silverman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002828:Choristoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007483:Iothalamic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007483:Iothalamic Acid; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; C002587:ioxitalamic acid