title: Thoracic splenosis twenty-nine years after traumatic splenectomy mimicking intrathoracic neoplasm.
abstract: Thoracic splenosis refers to a condition of ectopic splenic tissue in the thoracic cavity. It is usually a consequence of splenic tissue seeding in the pleural cavity after thoracoabdominal trauma. A rare case of thoracic splenosis, in a 62-year-old man who had had a traumatic splenectomy due to thoracoabdominal trauma 29 years earlier, is reported. The patient, a heavy smoker, was admitted for evaluation of a left-side thoracic lesion discovered on a plain chest film. Bronchoscopy, CT scan and needle biopsy proved inconclusive for the diagnosis. Exploratory thoracotomy was necessary to establish the diagnosis. During the operation, a thoracic splenosis was confirmed. To date, only 28 cases of thoracic splenosis have been reported in the literature. The purpose of this report is to present a new case of splenosis of the thoracic cavity simulating intrathoracic neoplasm.
authors.affiliation: 4th Surgical Clinic, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GPHT 'G. Papanikolaou', Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papakonstantinou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Christoforidis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vasiliadis
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kanellos
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zarogoulidis
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013154:Spleen / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013156:Splenectomy; D017890:Splenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013997:Time Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery