Hemangiosarcoma of the spleen. Report of a case

A case of hemangiosarcoma of the spleen in a 59-year-old man is presented. The diagnosis was made on the surgical specimen after the patient had undergone emergency splenectomy for spontaneous rupture. In the post-operative course endoperitoneal chemotherapy with dexorubicin was performed. Six months later a liver biopsy showed metastatic tumor. The patient died nine months after the onset of the symptoms. Autopsy was not performed. Pathological aspects of splenic hemangiosarcoma and differences of prognosis between splenectomy performed before and after rupture are described.