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Acute abdominal pain is one of the most common conditions confronted in the emergency department. Clues related to splenic infarction may be obscured, and the diagnosis is quite challenging even for experienced physicians or surgeons. For every patient diagnosed with splenic infarction, a scrutiny on the possible source of emboli should be carried out. In addition, splenic abscess must be suspected in patients of splenic infarction, especially if the infectious signs persist despite appropriate treatment. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are essential as its course can prove fatal. Infective endocarditis is the most common condition predisposing a patient to splenic abscess. Indeed, splenic abscess or infarction may be a disease entity at different stages in patients of infective endocarditis due to septic emboli of the spleen. The treatment of choice has been antibiotics, splenectomy, and valve replacement surgery. Herein, we report a case of splenic abscess and infective endocarditis cured by antibiotic treatment without the aid of drainage or surgery.

Wandering spleen is a rare condition that can lead to splenic infarction or rupture if torsion persists. Early diagnosis and intervention are necessary, and abdominal ultrasonography and abdominal computed tomography are well accepted as the diagnostic imaging modalities. In this study, we present a boy with nic infarction due to acute torsion of a wandering spleen, after initial failure to demonstrate an ectopic spleen. Instead, acute torsion of the wandering spleen with spontaneous partial detorsion was incidentally found by multi-detector row CT with angiography. The patient was managed by splenectomy instead of splenopexy, because poor reperfusion after Laparoscopic detorsion.

Unlabelled: We report three cases of splenic infarction in healthy men for the first time that amounted to high altitudes, observed in the hospital "Victor Ramos Guardia" Huaraz (3100 m). Case 1 (1995) of 55 years, born in Cuba, from Lima, caucasian suddenly presented acute abdominal pain in epigastrium, distension, nausea and vomiting, was laparotomized for acute abdomen and surgical pathology revealed thrombosis with splenic infarction splenic artery and vein. During follow-up in Lima, hemoglobin electrophoresis showed that it was heterozygous carrier of the sickle trait (Hb A: 57% Hb S: 38.5%). Case 2 (1998) of 23 years, born in Cuba, from Lima, Black said acute abdominal pain in left hypochondrium, shortness of breath and chest pain, clinical examination and radiography of the abdomen showed the spleen volume increased. Case 3 (2006) of 17 years, natural and from Lima, mestizo, who came on tour promotion, acute abdominal pain referred onset in the epigastrium and left hypochondrium, headache, increase heat, nausea and vomiting, pharyngitis was found acute and painful, and spleen increased in size by clinical and x-ray of abdomen simple stand. None had no history of hemoglobinopathy and anemia. In general, medical management was supportive and cases 2 and 3 are recommended hemoglobin electrophoresis. We conclude that we must think of splenic infarction associated with height in any healthy person who is first at high altitude (> 3000m) and having a sudden acute abdominal pain in epigastrium and / or left hypochondrium, pain and palpable spleen and radiological study compatible with image. In this case is indicated by hemoglobin electrophoresis to determine whether there is an individual heterozygous carrier of the sickle trait., Keywords: splenic infarction, high altitude, sickle trait, Huaraz.

There are various causes of splenic infarction. Antiphospholipid antibody is associated with numerous thromboembolic phenomena. We report a case of young male who presented with acute abdominal pain and was diagnosed as a case of splenic infarction and acute pancreatitis with antiphospholipid syndrome. He was positive for anticardiolipin antibody, showed splenic infarction on abdominal CT scan. The patient's clinical, laboratory and imaging finding were consistent with splenic infarction and acute pancreatitis associated with antiphospholipid syndrome.

Splenic infarction is a common cause of left upper quadrant pain and must be suspected in patients with hematologic or thromboembolic conditions and signs of localized or systemic inflammation. Although several mechanisms have been proposed for splenic infarction in patients with various hematologic disorders, hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is usually not associated with an increased risk for thromboembolic events. We report a 13-year-old male with HS who was referred to our hospital with a 4-day history of fever and left upper quadrant pain. Ultrasound scans and magnetic resonance imaging showed lesions suggestive of splenic infarction. Initially, antibiotic treatment was started because secondary infection was suspected. However, 1 week after admission the patient developed typical clinical signs of acute infectious mononucleosis. Further laboratory work up confirmed the diagnosis of acute Epstein-Barr virus infection and additionally revealed protein C deficiency. This association has not been reported previously and may have contributed to the development of splenic infarction. Since infectious mononucleosis is a common cause for clinical consultations in adolescence, physicians caring for children with hematologic disorders should be particularly aware of those possible complications.

We describe a case of patient with splenic infarction, admitted to our department for sudden abdominal pain and fever after discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy for atrial fibrillation, complicating a dilated myocardiopathy and mechanical prosthetic valve. Diagnosis of splenic infarction was made by enhanced-contrast computed tomography, while ultrasounds and radiography were negative. Anticoagulant therapy, gold-standard treatment, was followed by fast clinical improvement. Moreover, splenic infarction should be considered in all cases of acute or chronic pain in left hypochondrium and especially in patients with emboligenous cardiopathies or atrial fibrillation, the most common arrhythmia source of peripheral embolism in clinical practice.

Context: Anaplastic carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare variant of ductal adenocarcinoma. The histogenesis and biologic behavior of these tumors are still controversial. They occur in elderly men and are associated with a very poor prognosis., Case Report: We report a case of advanced anaplastic carcinoma in a 41-year-old man who presented with splenic infarction. He had a prolonged survival of 16 months from diagnosis., Conclusion: Splenic infarction is a most unusual acute presentation of pancreatic carcinoma, which may require emergency tumor resection and splenectomy.

Context: Vascular complications of pancreatitis are more common in alcohol- rather than gallstone-induced pancreatitis. Such complications are an important cause of mortality and morbidity, although peripancreatic vessel obstruction is a rare consequence. Patients with peripancreatic arterial obstruction can present with sudden and unexplained clinical deterioration requiring prompt diagnosis and intervention., Case Report: A 42-year-old woman with a proven pancreatic pseudocyst presented with acute abdominal pain. Initial investigations were non-diagnostic. A gastroscopy revealed patchy necrosis of the proximal stomach. Following sudden clinical deterioration, a contrast-enhanced CT scan was performed. The CT scan demonstrated a thickened gastric wall with intramural gas. The decision was taken to proceed to laparotomy, which revealed both gastric and splenic infarction. A total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction and splenectomy was performed. She made a successful recovery., Conclusion: Arterial thrombosis should be considered in any patient with chronic pancreatitis who presents with an acute clinical deterioration. Successful outcomes can be achieved with prompt diagnosis using contrast-enhanced CT scanning and early surgical intervention.

We present a case of intrapancreatic accessory splenic infarction in a 28-year-old woman. It was discovered during a workup for an acute right epigastric pain. Computed tomography imaging of abdomen demonstrated a hemorrhagic high attenuation with enhancing solid portion in the tail of pancreas. The clinical and radiological differential diagnosis included pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasm, pancreatic endocrine neoplasm, solid pseudopapillary tumor, ductal adenocarcinoma, and metastasis. A distal pancreatectomy was completed. The microscopic examination revealed heterotopic splenic tissue with infarction and her abdominal pain disappeared. In this case report, we first describe a symptomatic accessory splenic infarction which presented as a hemorrhagic mass in the tail of pancreas mimicking pancreatic neoplasm.

Objective: To report a case of biopsy-verified Wegener granulomatosis (WG) with positive c-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies who had evidence of spleen infarction and to review the relevant literature on spleen involvement in WG., Methods: Descriptive case report of 1 patient with WG complicated by spleen infarction and review of the relevant literature (PubMed search 1966 through February 2007)., Results: In our patient spleen involvement (infarction) was clinically silent and was incidentally detected on the caudal slides of a chest computed tomography (CT) performed to investigate pulmonary involvement. Similar cases have been reported: in the published literature reviewed, overall 18 patients have been described and other cases have been described after autopsy. Of these, 8 patients were symptomatic: generally, they complained of diffuse or left upper quadrant abdominal pain. In 15 patients, spleen involvement was detected by ultrasound, scintigraphy, CT scan, or magnetic resonance imaging. In 1 case only was the diagnosis confirmed by biopsy (after splenectomy)., Conclusions: The frequency of spleen infarction is probably underestimated in WG since it is often clinically silent as in our patient. In addition to spleen infarction, WG has also been implicated in inducing spleen hemorrhage, capsular adhesions, dysfunction, and splenomegaly. Since some of the spleen lesions may lead to complications, a high index of suspicion should be maintained for spleen involvement in patients with WG, particularly in the presence of abdominal symptoms.

Splenic infarction is a very rare event though it can occur in a multitude of conditions with general or local manifestations. Splenic involvement in infectious endocarditis can be either infarction or abscess formation. The clinical picture is usually nonspecific and the diagnosis is often not initially suspected. We present a case of a 67 year-old male patient with infectious endocarditis who has been diagnosed with a splenic infarction by abdominal CT scan. The infarction was a result of septic embolization from the infected endocardium. The patient was initially managed conservatively with triple antibiotic therapy and regular follow-up ultrasound scan. The persistence of abdominal symptoms and the suspicion of splenic abscess formation led to the decision of performing splenectomy. Although imaging can characterize the nature of a splenic lesion, it is sometimes impossible to differentiate between infarction and abscess without histopathological confirmation. Splenic infarction should be suspected in all patients with a past history of thromboembolic disease who complain of left upper quadrant pain and present with localized or systemic inflammatory signs. Unfavorable clinical course and suspicion of abscess formation are indications for surgery. The characteristic features of splenic infarction are discussed together with a review of the recent literature.

The appearance of cloudy peritoneal dialysis effluent in combination with the clinical manifestations of peritonitis usually heralds infectious peritonitis and the diagnosis is established with routine cultures. However, patients may present with culture-negative cloudy dialysate effluent and after ruling out atypical infectious etiologies, other intraabdominal causes should be considered in the differential diagnosis. A 57-year-old male with uremia on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis with a pertinent history of restrictive cardiomyopathy and chronic atrial fibrillation suffered from abdominal pain and persistent culture-negative cloudy peritoneal dialysate. Clinical improvement was limited after empiric antibiotic treatment and all bacteriologic workups were negative. Isolated spleen infarction, a rare cause of culture-negative peritonitis, was disclosed by abdominal computed tomography. Spleen infarction is still an unrecognized cause of culture-negative peritonitis and is frequently overlooked. A high degree of suspicion is needed in CAPD patients with thromboembolism risk who present with unexplained persistent abdominal pain and cloudy PD effluent.

A 38-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain and left shoulder pain. A computed tomography scan was obtained, which demonstrated a rounded soft tissue density with surrounding stranding. It was interpreted as an infarcted splenule. Due to the increasing severity of the patient's symptoms, a laparoscopic exploration was performed. Pathology demonstrated an infarcted splenule. As infarcted splenules are rare, an understanding of its pathogenesis and familiarity with the corresponding imaging findings may be helpful for its diagnosis in the patient with the appropriate clinical scenario. It is important to recognize this entity as a cause of abdominal pain that can be managed nonsurgically.

Ultrasonography and computed tomography scan with hypo echoic areas diagnosed a splenic infarction in a Salmonella typhi infected 30-year-old man with painful hypochondrium and epigastrium. An antibiotic recipe of ceftriaxone and amikacin resulted in recovery. Imaging techniques contribute remarkably to a rapid diagnosis and rational management of the extra intestinal lesions attributable to the Salmonella typhi/paratyphi group of organisms.

We present a case of a 73-year-old man in whom a celiac trunk aneurysm close to the hepato-splenic bifurcation was discovered and treated by using celiac-hepatic stent-grafts implantation and splenic artery embolization.

A 1-month-old infant with congenital heart disease underwent initial cardiac surgery (Mee Shunt) at day 20 but was later readmitted because of poor shunt flow and hypoxemia. Despite therapy, the infant deteriorated and suffered a cardiopulmonary arrest. After 40 minutes of resuscitation, spontaneous cardiac output was reestablished, and subsequently, the child was placed on extracorporeal circulation membrane oxygen (ECMO) support. The infant deteriorated further over the next 3 days with persistent acidosis, marked abdominal distension associated with significant nasogastric aspirates, and the passage of small amounts of bloodstained stool. The presumed diagnosis was necrotizing enterocolitis, and despite the grave prognostic indicators, the decision was taken to undertake laparotomy. At surgery, there was 350 mL of unclotted venous blood in the peritoneal cavity. The bowel was grossly normal. A ruptured, infarcted, hemorrhagic spleen was discovered to be the cause of the bleeding. A splenectomy was performed, and the child made rapid recovery, sufficiently well to undergo redo Mee shunt 2 days later. A splenic infarct was confirmed at pathological examination. The cause of the splenic infarct and rupture is uncertain in this baby but may have been related to either cardiopulmonary resuscitation and/or ECMO. The importance of this case is the similarity in presentation in a baby with congenital heart disease between necrotizing enterocolitis (which is relatively common) and hemoperitoneum secondary to splenic rupture (which is very rare). Medical practice contains many useful maxims such as, "What walks like a duck, talks like a duck, is often a duck." This case demonstrates that not all ducks are the common Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) but occasionally the exceptionally rare (sic) Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra). The management of neonatal cardiac patients on ECMO therapy continues to be a challenge, and particular diagnostic rigor should be applied in their care.

We report the case of a 12-year-old girl presenting with multiple episodes of left upper-quadrant pain caused by torsion of an accessory spleen.We present the CT findings of progression of accessory spleen infarction over the course of 7 days.

Hemoglobinopathy S, Depranocytosis or Sickle Cell Disease is the most common hemoglobinopathy in the world. In its heterozygous form (Sickle Cell Trait), it affects 8% of the black population in the U.S. and 25% of the black population in Africa, and is found less frequently in the Mediterranean area, India, Middle East and Latin America. The basic alteration is a substitution of glutamic acid by valin in the sixth position of the beta globin chain, which causes polymerization at low oxygen tension thereby distorting the structure of erythrocytes and increasing blood viscosity, which, in turn, generates obstructions of the capillary arterial blood flow to different areas of the body thus causing microinfarctions. Although Splenic Infarction is rare, it is recognized as a serious complication of Heterozygous Sickle Cell Disease (Sickle Cell Trait). We present the case of a 21 year-old mestizo male patient who came in with an acute case of abdominal pain after arriving to work in the Casapalca mining city (located in the Peruvian Andes at 4200 m.a.s.l.) and was referred to our Hospital in Lima for exams. We present the case because it is an unusual cause of acute abdominal pain, and because this condition is rare in Peru and there are few publications about it.

Triptans are specific agonists of the serotonergic 5-HT(1B/1D) receptors that have increasingly been used in the treatment of migraine and cluster headaches. Though they are generally considered safe, there have been a few reports of myocardial infarction and stroke associated with triptan use. We report a patient who developed spontaneous splenic infarction after the use of sumatriptan for the treatment of migraine headache.

Giant aneurysms of the splenic artery are extremely rare clinical entities. The size of splenic aneurysms rarely exceeds 3 cm. The treatment includes surgical procedures that sometimes require pancreatectomy. We present a case of a 9 cm giant splenic artery aneurysm tightly adherent to the pancreas which was treated surgically.

A 44 year-old man presented to the Emergency Department of American Hospital with severe pain persisting in the left upper quadrant for several hours. A computed tomographic scanning (CT scan) and celiac digital substraction angiography (DSA) of the abdomen demonstrated a splenic infarct. Histopathological examinations showed diffuse acute vasculitis, thrombosis, panvasculitis which led us to diagnose the case as "polyarteritis nodosa". The diagnosis is usually difficult to establish and it is usually delayed due to variable clinical manifestations dependent on the site and the extent of arterial involvement.

Acute pancreatitis usually is a benign disease. However it can sometimes be severe with a 5% mortality. CT is the imaging technique of choice and should be performed in all cases. When clinical symptoms and laboratory findings are typical, the role of CT is to detect complications. In those cases, CT is ideally performed 72 hours after the beginning of symptoms. In other cases, CT can be performed earlier. The main usefulness of CT is to detect complications: necrosis, fluid collections and vascular involvement. Non-invasive imaging techniques, including US, are poorly sensitive for diagnosis of biliary pancreatitis.

Rationale and Objectives: Contrast of trueFISP images depends mainly on the T2/T1 ratio. Consequently, there is a potential gain in signal intensity after administration of paramagnetic contrast medium despite the strong T2 weighting. The purpose of this study was to analyze signal intensities of abdominal organs after applying contrast medium and to determine whether this yields an improved contrast for pathologies compared with precontrast trueFISP., Materials and Methods: Fifty patients underwent an abdominal examination, including the trueFISP sequence before and after the administration of contrast medium. All images were obtained with a 1.5 T system. The mean signal-to-noise ratio before and after contrast medium was assessed for abdominal organs, vessels, muscle, and fat. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of pathologic lesions was calculated., Results: The trueFISP sequence yielded a higher signal-to-noise ratio after application of contrast medium for all organs except for fat and the aorta. CNR of solid lesions (angiomyolipoma, liver adenoma, liver hemangioma, hepatocellular carcinoma) increased whereas contrast of cysts decreased., Conclusions: TrueFISP imaging after application of contrast medium led to better CNR for many solid lesions while cysts showed a diminished contrast. We advise trueFISP imaging sequences before and after contrast medium application.

Many etiologies lead to pleural effusion. The pathogenetic cause is usually located either in the lung parenchyma or in the pleura. Subphrenic causes that lead to pleural effusion are uncommon. Several reports elaborated on the role of splenic hemorrhages in the genesis of left-sided pleural effusion. Splenic infarction is a rare etiology of left-sided pleural effusion, and it has rarely been described in medical literature. We present a case study of an elderly female patient who suffered from polycythemia vera for more than a decade, and was hospitalized for left-sided pleural effusion that appeared following left upper abdominal pain.