title: Splenic embolus: 13 cases from a single medical department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the spleen having a very rich blood supply, there is a paucity of reports of splenic emboli.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the incidence of splenic emboli treated in a single general internal medicine department over the last 3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the records of a 35 bed internal medicine department in a hospital in the center of Israel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over a period of 3 years 13 patients admitted to one internal medicine department developed acute abdominal pain and areas of hypoperfusion in the spleen on contrast computed tomography imaging. The patients were treated with anticoagulants, their course was benign and there were no long-term sequelae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Embolus to the spleen is not rare in an internal medicine department. Diagnosis can be easily made by contrast CT scanning, and treatment with anticoagulants results in a good prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine C, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hazanov
authors.forename: Malka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Attali
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Somin
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beilinson
authors.forename: Sorel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goland
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Stephen D H
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Malnick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004617:Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007388:Internal Medicine; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014600:Utilization Review
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants