Detection of multiple accessory spleens in a patient with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 6, 2026
Application of Laparoscopic Partial Splenectomy with Total Blood Flow Occlusion in Benign Splenic Lesions
Published on: December 20, 2024
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura is an immunologically mediated disorder resulting in disordered platelet kinetics and potentially life-threatening thrombocytopenia. Failure of medical therapy is an indication for splenectomy, and responses are seen in 70% of patients after this procedure. An important cause of relapse after splenectomy is the presence of accessory spleens. The authors describe a patient with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura who had a relapse of symptoms 4.5 years after splenectomy. Tc-99m heat-denatured RBC planar and SPECT studies revealed the presence of multiple (more than 13) accessory spleens, but few of them were localized anatomically using computed tomography.
Chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura is an immunologically mediated disorder resulting in disordered platelet kinetics and potentially life-threatening thrombocytopenia. Failure of medical therapy is an indication for splenectomy, and responses are seen in 70% of patients after this procedure. An important cause of relapse after splenectomy is the presence of accessory spleens. The authors describe a patient with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura who had a relapse of symptoms 4.5 years after splenectomy. Tc-99m heat-denatured RBC planar and SPECT studies revealed the presence of multiple (more than 13) accessory spleens, but few of them were localized anatomically using computed tomography.
