Isolated colon cancer metastasis to the spleen

Splenic metastases from colon carcinoma are rare. If present they generally occur in concert with disseminated disease. Six cases have been previously reported. The patient presented here is a 51-year-old black man who presented with an enterocutaneous fistula as a complication from prior pelvic radiation. Workup included an abdominal CT and needle biopsy, which confirmed the splenic metastasis from a sigmoid colon cancer 6 years after the original diagnosis. The patient had an unevenful splenectomy. Although no long-term follow-up data are as yet available splenectomy including removal of hilar lymph nodes appears to be the treatment of choice. A case report and review of the literature are presented.