[Hepatic splenosis diagnosed by fine-needle cytology]

A case of hepatic splenosis, diagnosed by FNA cytology, in a 56 years old cirrhotic man is reported. The cytologic material, aspirated from a 4.8 cm "suspicious for hepatocarcinoma" nodule, showed, within a hematic background, small-medium sized lymphoid cells, neutrophils and eosinophils granulocytes, histiocytes with large cytoplasm, plasma cells; mixtures of these cells, within a reticular network, were often aggregated in large structures, in which endothelial cells organized in vascular-like structures were also visible. The cell block, showed sinusoidal structures, lymphoid follicular aggregates and fibrous septa, strongly suggesting the micromorphology of the normal spleen. Splenosis is an autotransplant of splenic tissue, morphologically organized in non-capsulated, functioning, self-limited nodules, secondary to a post-traumatic splenectomy. Usual presentation of this condition is the presence of several bluish nodules on the peritoneal surface. Nevertheless, sporadic cases in other organs have been reported. To the best of our review of the Medical Literature, a hepatic splenosis is an exceptional even and the present is the first case in this location diagnosed by FNA cytology. The present one is also the case with the largest latency between the splenectomy and the splenosis detection (43 years).