Splenic epithelial cyst mistaken with Hydatid cyst: A case report

Cystic lesions of the spleen are infrequent and usually diagnosed incidentally. These lesions are rare and their differential diagnosis is very wide. Splenic epithelial cysts are the most common type of primary splenic cyst (4%). Surgical treatment is indicated for cysts larger than 5 cm or symptomatic. Nowadays, spleen preserving surgery is the gold standard treatment considering the immunologic role of the spleen and the increased risk of post-splenectomy infections.

A 17 year old girl presented to the outpatient clinic with moderate left upper quadrant abdominal pain of 2 weeks duration with loss of appetite and denied fever, chills, sweating and jaundice. Abdominal examination showed tender splenomegaly. The abdominal imaging (Ultrasound, CT SCAN, MRI) was suggestive of hydatid cyst of the spleen, for which she received Albendazole for 1 month and then operated by laparotomy with partial resection and un-roofing of the splenic cyst. The pathology report showed a splenic epithelial cyst (SEC).

SEC is a rare pathology that could mimic splenic hydatid cyst. The clinical and radiological pictures may be commonly misleading and non-conclusive. Definitive diagnosis is made on histopathology. Spleen conserving surgery, when possible, is the preferred modality for treatment.