Hamartomas of the spleen

A study of 12 cases of splenic hamartomas, rare benign lesions of the spleen, included one case of spontaneous rupture of a hamartoma that required emergency operation and two cases of hamartomatosis with splenomegaly. An increased incidence of accessory spleens was also noted. Therefore, although rarely symptomatic, hamartomas may occasionally be of clinical importance. Surgeons should be aware of these lesions in the differential diagnosis of splenic tumors that appear as filling defects on scintiscan or as splenic masses on abdominal exploration. Since it may also be a source of spontaneous splenic rupture, it should be considered as one of the rare causes of such an occurrence.