Torsion of the Wandering Spleen

Abstract

Wandering spleen, defined as a spleen without its usual peritoneal attachments, is a rare entity. We report a 34-year-old woman with acute abdomen due to torsion of the long vascular pedicle of a wandering spleen, displaced in the abdominal cavity, and infarction of the spleen. Wandering spleen was diagnosed by ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scan, and was managed by splenectomy in this patient. Wandering spleen usually occurs in 20 to 40 years old women. The most common presentation is acute abdominal pain, although signs and symptoms vary widely. Due to the risk of splenic infarction, rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential. A confirmatory diagnosis of a wandering spleen depends heavily upon imaging studies such as abdominal ultrasound, abdominal and pelvic CT scanning, nuclear scintigraphy or a liver-spleen scan. Treatment options include splenopexy or splenectomy.

Keywords

• Wandering Spleen
• torsion
• abdominal pain