Ultrasonography of splenic metastases

Splenic metastases were studied by ultrasound in 31 patients. Sixteen (52%) patients had multifocal lesions, 12 (39%) had single metastases and 3 (10%) had diffuse splenic infiltration. Splenomegaly was seen in 6 patients with focal metastases and in all 3 with diffuse infiltration. The focal metastases were hypoechoic in 13 (46%) patients, of mixed type in 8 (29%), hyperechoic in 4 (14%) and of target type in 3 (11%) patients. There was no correlation between the radiologic features of the metastases and the type of the primary tumour. Ultrasound examination disclosed the presence of metastases in other abdominal organs in 25 (81%) of the patients. Twenty-eight (90%) patients died during follow-up; the median survival time being 4 months (range 2 weeks to 26 months).