Splenoptosis in young female, case report

Highlights • The spleen is normally located in the left hypochondriac region just underneath the 9th to 11th intercostal spaces. • Splenoptosis, wandering spleen or floating spleen, is a rare entity in which the spleen migrates from its normal position. • The diagnosis is confirmed by imaging modalities. • The only definitive treatment is surgical intervention.
Background Splenoptosis is an uncommon disorder defined as the dislodgment of the spleen from its anatomical location in the left hypochondrium to another location in the intraabdominal cavity. This migration is the result of laxity or absence of the ligaments that fix the spleen to surrounding structures. Splenoptosis is either diagnosed after it causes symptoms, or incidentally using different imaging modalities. Surgery is the definite treatment either by splenopexy or splenectomy. Case presentation In the case presented here, we discuss a 17 years old female patient who presented to our institution for acute onset of abdominal pain, mainly suprapubic, occurring for 4 days. Ultrasound showed a suspicious right pelvic mass, which was found to be a wandering spleen with pedicle torsion. The patient was treated surgically by splenectomy. Conclusion We report this rare case to encourage physicians to keep this etiology in mind as part of the differential diagnosis of unspecific abdominal pain.