title: Splenic metastasis from gastric adenocarcinoma: A rare case.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Isolated splenic metastasis are very rare. There are only a few reported cases of patients with isolated splenic metastasis from gastric primary tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a case of a 71-year-old patient with isolated splenic metastasis, diagnosed 6 years after primary treatment of a gastric adenocarcinoma, who previously had a lung resection also for metastasis. The patient was submitted to chemotherapy and then to splenectomy. The patient is alive and has no evidence of disease 7 months after splenectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We discuss the theories that explain the rare event of splenic metastasis, the route of metastization, the workup, treatment and survival of patients with isolated splenic metastasis. To the best of our knowledge, our case has the second longest interval from the primary diagnosis of gastric cancer to the diagnosis of splenic metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In cases of isolated splenic metastasis from gastric adenocarcinoma, fit patients should be considered for splenectomy, since there are reports of good patient survivals.
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospital do Porto - Hospital de Santo António, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: msilvasantos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospital do Porto - Hospital de Santo António, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Vilma
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospital do Porto - Hospital de Santo António, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Filipa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospital do Porto - Hospital de Santo António, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: J Ramón
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Vizcaíno
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospital do Porto - Hospital de Santo António, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mesquita
keywords: Gastric adenocarcinoma; Isolated splenic metastasis