Chronic torsion of the spleen

Wandering spleen may result from congenital failure of splenic attachments or acquired laxity of attachments due to stretching. The wandering spleen is quite vulnerable to the complication of torsion, which is seen most often as an acute abdominal emergency due to splenic infarction. A more unusual variant is chronic torsion which causes intermittent mild to moderate abdominal pain, gastrointestinal disturbances and, in one case, hypersplenism. A mass has been present in most cases and may be anywhere in the abdomen or pelvis. Splenectomy should be performed for all cases of wandering spleen with or without torsion.