Laparoscopic splenectomy for haemangioma of the spleen

Abstract

Splenic haemangioma is a rare disorder but remains the most common benign neoplasm of the spleen. It accounts for 0.1 to 14% of many large autopsy series. Most haemangiomas tend to be discovered in adults in the age group 30-50 years. In 80% of cases splenic haemangioma is usually found incidentally. Spontaneous rupture has been reported to occur in as many as 25% of these patients especially when the diameter of the tumour is more than 4 cm necessitating splenectomy as the only modality of treatment. We report a case of splenic haemangioma in a 23-year female. Laparoscopic splenectomy was undertaken and spleen removed through a small left inguinal hand port incision. Post-operative period was uneventful and histopathological examination report showed splenic haemangioma. She remains well three years post-operative.

Keywords

• Haemangioma
• laparoscope
• spleen
• splenectomy