Laparoscopic splenectomy for isolated splenic sarcoidosis: A case report

Isolated splenic sarcoidosis is difficult to diagnosis due to its rarity. Laparoscopic splenectomy has become the gold standard for therapeutic diagnosis in patients presenting with solid splenic lesions because needle biopsy can lead to bleeding and tract seeding.

A 59-year-old female was referred to our hospital due to abnormal accumulation in the spleen on abdominal ultrasonography. Enhanced computed tomography showed three heterogeneously enhanced nodules. Magnetic resonance imaging showed hypointense nodules on T2-weighted images. The initial diagnosis was a fibrous hamartoma or an inflammatory pseudotumor. At follow-up 4 months later, the splenic nodules had increased in size, and diagnostic laparoscopic splenectomy was performed without complications. Histopathologically, the splenic nodules contained noncaseating granulomas comprising epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells, and asteroid inclusion bodies. Postoperatively, examinations found no other organ involvement, and the final diagnosis was isolated splenic sarcoidosis. There was no evidence of recurrence at 2 years postoperatively, and systemic treatment was not required.

Radiological imaging studies are insufficient for the differential diagnosis of splenic lesions in sarcoidosis from other diseases, whereas laparoscopic splenectomy is less invasive and useful as part of the diagnostic approach.