Color Doppler sonographic findings in focal spleen lesions.
Since focal lesions of the spleen are rare (0.2%), there is little data concerning color Doppler images of focal lesions of the spleen.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to describe the color Doppler images of 98 etiologically proved focal spleen lesions.


METHODS
In about 110,000 consecutive abdominal ultrasound examinations, which included the spleen, 600 patients with focal lesions of the spleen were identified. In 98 of these patients a color Doppler scan of the lesion was performed and documented. These scans were analysed retrospectively and classified as avascular, hypovascular, isovascular, hypervascular and arterio-venous "high flow", using the surrounding spleen tissue as an in vivo reference.


RESULTS
In color Doppler sonography (CDS) 68.4% (n=67) of the focal spleen lesions showed no flow. 15.3% (n=15) appeared hypovascular, 8.2% (n=8) isovascular, 5.1% (n=5) hypervascular, and in 3.1% (n=3) an arterio-venous "high flow"-pattern was found.


CONCLUSIONS
In CDS about two thirds (68%) of focal spleen lesions appear to be avascular. Except from diagnosis of intra-splenic pseudo-aneurysm, the practical utility of CDS in diagnosing focal spleen lesions has to be estimated as low.
Bachmann
Christian
C
Department of Internal Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, D-35043 Marburg, Germany.
Görg
Christian
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*