Nonparasitic splenic cysts: a report of 52 cases with radiologic-pathologic correlation

We reviewed 52 cases of splenic cysts on file at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. There were 24 true (epidermoid) and 28 false (posttraumatic) cysts. The history and clinical presentations, including pain, splenomegaly, or mass, were similar in both groups. Radiologic manifestations included splenomegaly and the occasional identification of a distinct mass by conventional radiography even in the absence of calcification. The lesions produced a photopenic defect on nuclear scintigraphy and were avascular on angiography. Sonography and CT demonstrated a cystic lesion with occasional septations, wall trabeculation, and low-level internal echoes. Three false cysts demonstrated solid and cystic components on sonography and CT, corresponding to organizing hematoma within the cyst. Splenomegaly or a splenic mass of a predominantly cystic nature with no clinical evidence of echinococcus suggests the diagnosis of splenic cyst. Reliable radiologic distinction between true or false splenic cyst does not seem possible. Complex mass may represent a "transition" between hematoma and false splenic cyst.