Splenogonadal fusion- a great clinical masquerader: a case report and review of literature

Abstract

Abstract Background Splenogonadal fusion (SGF) is a rare developmental choristoma in which ectopic splenic tissue is aberrantly attached to the gonads, mostly in the scrotum. It is a great clinical masquerader, and accurate preoperative diagnosis is often difficult due to the rarity of this entity. Many patients tend to undergo unnecessary surgical explorations and also orchiectomy. Accordingly, this article aims to review the latest literature regarding SGF and a description of the radiological features of this rare entity. Multiple systematic methods were used to find the latest publications on splenogonadal fusion by searching the Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases online since 2013. The latest comprehensive review of this rare entity was of 61 cases by Malik et al. in 2013. We reviewed all the cases of SGF reported in the literature in the last 10 years between 2013 and 2022 with an emphasis on diverse clinical presentations and radiologic findings. Along with this, a surgical and pathological proved case of SGF will be presented with emphasis on imaging findings. Splenogondal fusion is an uncommon differential diagnosis in patients with scrotal swelling. The current literature review showed the discontinuous type (63%) of SGF to be more common than the continuous (37%) type in contradiction to the previous literature review. Orchiectomy was done in 36% of cases as compared to 24% as described in the latest review by Malik et al. Conclusions Knowledge of this entity along with familiarization with its imaging features among radiologists is essential for surgical prognostication and avoiding unnecessary orchiectomy. We suggest that the addition of colour Doppler and elastography to routine grey-scale ultrasound can increase diagnostic confidence. Subsequent cross-sectional imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) helps categorize the subtype and pre-operative planning.

Keywords

• Splenogonadal fusion
• Cryptorchidism
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Elasticity imaging techniques
• Colour Doppler ultrasonography
• Orchiectomy