[Diagnosis and treatment of 31 patients with splenic tumors]

Splenic tumor, a rare disease, is scarcely mentioned in the literature. Here, we wish to present a clinical study on 31 such patients treated in the PLA General Hospital with emphasis on diagnosis and treatment.

Thirty-one splenic tumor patients were treated from January 1990 to December 2000. The clinical manifestations and image characteristics of splenic tumor, diagnosis and treatment were analysed.

Male 19, female 12. Their ages ranged from 13 to 80 years with an average of 56. The symptoms and signs were non-specific. All patients were first diagnosed by beta-ultrasonography to have single or multiple space-occupying lesions. Then, 19 patients received CT and 7 MRI scans. The diagnosis of seven patients suffering from splenic cysts were initially made definite by beta-ultrasonography among whom the lesions of 6 were confirmed by operation and pathology. The diagnosis of 9 patients with metastatic tumor was ascertained by combined imaging and clinical history. Finally, the lesions were confirmed by operation and pathology. Fifteen patients with primary splenic tumor were found to have primary space-occupying lesion by imaging: Except one patient who was diagnosed to have splenic lymphoma and not operated, all the other 14 patients underwent splenectomy with their lesions confirmed by pathology. Altogether, 25 of these 31 patients were treated by splenectomy with uneventful recovery without any operative mortality. Final pathologic examination disclosed that 20(65%) of 31 lesions were benign.

Clinical history and imaging scans are important in the diagnosis of splenic tumors. The differentiation of benignity and malignancy is difficult before operation. Surgery is satisfactory in treating splenic tumors.