Case report: Portal hypertension causing massive enlargement of an accessory spleen — a rare cause of splenic pseudotumour

Ectopic splenic tissue simulating renal, pancreatic, hepatic and even pelvic malignant tumours have been reported previously [1-4]. Autopsy studies have demonstrated that the pathological entities that affect the spleen also affect the accessory spleen [5]. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of an accessory spleen, markedly enlarged by portal hypertension, presenting as a splenic pseudotumour. The patient had a TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt) procedure prior to its operative removal and the role of pre-resectional TIPS is also discussed.