Role of nuclear medicine imaging in differential diagnosis of accessory spleens in patients after splenectomy.
BACKGROUND
More than 10% of healthy population has one or more accessory spleens. The most common location is the hilum of the spleen or area near the tail of the pancreas. The radiological appearance of accessory spleens in oncologic patients who underwent splenectomy can be misinterpreted as a recurrence, especially in the case of compensatory growth of an accessory spleen in successive radiological examinations.  CASER REPORTS: We present the cases of three patients who underwent splenectomy for gastric carcinoid, gastric adenocarcinoma and cancer of the left adrenal gland, respectively. CT examination and/or PET-CT scan revealed suspicious findings in the left upper abdomen. In one patient, the dimensional increase of this finding in successive examinations was initially considered suggestive for cancer recurrence. Scintigraphy with (99m)Tc-nanocolloid was able to confirm the presence of an accessory spleen in all these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Splenic scintigraphy is an economical, accessible and accurate tool in differential diagnosis of accessory spleens in patients after splenectomy.
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Endocrine Oncology, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Gliwice, Poland.
Andrea
A
d'Amico
Anna
A
Cofalik
Cesary
C
Przeorek
Tomasz
T
Gawlik
Tomasz
T
Olczyk
Michał
M
Kalemba
Alicja
A
Modorowska
Maria
M
Turska-d'Amico
Barbara
B
Bobek-Billewicz
Barbara
B
Jarzab