THORACO-PARAPERICARDIAL SPLENOSIS: FEATURES OF A RARE DIAGNOSIS AND A CASE REPORT

Introduction: Thoracic splenosis is an acquired rare condition, resulting from heterotopic autotransplantation of splenic parenchyma into chest, usually after traumatic spleen and diaphragm rupture.
Methods and Results: This paper describes the thoracic splenosis, as an incidental diagnosis and asymptomatic condition, 34 years after a thoracoabdominal trauma in a patient who underwent radiological investigations due to a 15 kg weight loss in the previous four months: the only abnormalities found were thoraco-parapericardial and abdominal nodules of splenosis.
Discussion: Thoracic splenosis is a rare condition, usually following a thoracoabdominal trauma with concomitant lesions of the spleen and diaphragm, which allow thoracic implantation of splenic tissue. Patients are generally asymptomatic, and the condition is discovered incidentally during radiological investigations, which allow certain diagnosis without using invasive methods. Excision of splenosis should be considered for symptomatic patients or unconfirmed diagnosis.
Conclusions: Thoracic splenosis iS a rare condition. Imaging investigations allow to diagnose the condition, and excision of splenosis is not suggested for asymptomatic patients.