The left gastro-omental vessels are able to maintain the entire spleen blood supply / Os vasos gastromentais esquerdos são capazes de manter o suprimento sanguíneo de todo o baço

Abstract The spleen is supplied by blood flow through the splenic artery and vein. The purpose of this communication is to report an ectopic spleen supplied only by reverse flow through the left gastro-omental vessels. A 14-year-old boy presented with pelvic splenomegaly supplied only by the left gastro-omental artery and veins connected to the inferior polar vessels, which were the only vessels communicating with the spleen. After detorsion of the spleen and splenopexy, the spleen returned to normal dimensions. The patient had uneventful follow-up. In conclusion, the left gastroepiploic vessels are able to maintain the entire spleen blood supply.

Resumo O baço é suprido pelo fluxo sanguíneo da artéria e veia esplênicas. O objetivo desta comunicação é apresentar um baço ectópico suprido apenas pelo fluxo sanguíneo reverso proveniente dos vasos gastromentais esquerdos. Um paciente de 14 anos apresentou esplenomegalia pélvica suprida apenas por artéria e veia gastromentais esquerdas, conectadas aos vasos polares inferiores, que eram os únicos presentes nesse baço. Após a distorção do baço e a esplenopexia, o baço voltou às dimensões normais. Não houve intercorrências no acompanhamento do paciente. Em conclusão, os vasos gastromentais esquerdos são capazes de suprir o fluxo sanguíneo de todo o baço.

Infarcted wandering spleen and pancreatic volvulus in a patient with concomitant Grynfelt-Lesshaft haernia.

Wandering spleen is a rare condition, generally due to congenital abnormalities of the dorsal mesogastrium or splenic suspensory ligaments and not traumatic events. The most frequent complication is torsion of the splenic hilus with ischemia or splenic infarction and its association with pancreatic volvulus is extremely rare. There are no reported cases of wandering spleen with pancreatic volvulus in association with a post traumatic Grynfelt-Lesshaft haernia. We present a case of a 43-year-old female patient with an association of these three entities and a history of abdominal trauma.

El bazo errante es una afección rara que en general se debe a anomalías congénitas del mesogastrio dorsal o de los ligamentos suspensores esplénicos, y no a traumatismos. La complicación más frecuente es la torsión del hilio esplénico con isquemia o infarto esplénico, y su asociación a vólvulo pancreático es extremadamente rara. No existen ningún otro caso reportado de bazo errante con vólvulo pancreático en un paciente que presenta una hernia lumbar de Grynfelt-Lesshaft postraumática. Presentamos el caso de una paciente de 43 años con asociación de estas tres afecciones y antecedente de traumatismo abdominal.

Bazo errante gigante con torsión del pedículo e infarto esplénico: reporte de un caso / Giant Wandering Spleen with torsion of the pedicle and splenic infarction: a case report

INTRODUCCIÓN: El bazo errante, es una entidad clínica poco común. Su espectro clínico varía desde enfermedad asintomática hasta complicaciones asociadas y su manejo es predominantemente quirúrgico. CASO CLÍNICO: Hombre, con cuadro clínico de dolor y masa abdominal palpable, con hallazgos tomográficos sugestivos de patología con asiento en retroperitoneo, con obstrucción intestinal secundaria; por laparotomía se identifica de forma incidental bazo ectópico solo fijado a través de pedículo vascular torsionado y signos de hipertensión portal, realizándose esplenectomía. CONCLUSIONES: La torsión esplénica es la complicación más frecuente del bazo errante, una entidad bastante rara con muy pocos casos publicados en Colombia.

BACKGROUND: The wandering spleen is an uncommon clinical entity. Its clinical spectrum varies from asymptomatic disease to associated complications and its management is predominantly by surgery. CLINICAL CASE: Man with clinical picture of pain and palpable abdominal mass, with tomographic findings suggestive of pathology with retroperitoneal seating, with secondary intestinal obstruction; by laparotomy incidentally, an ectopic spleen is identified, only fixed through a torsioned vascular pedicle and signs of portal hypertension, performing splenectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Splenic torsion is the most frequent complication of the errant spleen, a very rare entity with very few cases published in Colombia.

[Wandering spleen: an unusual cause of acute abdomen]. / Bazo errante: una causa infrecuente de abdomen agudo.

Wandering spleen syndrome is a rare condition in which absence or laxity of splenic fixing elements predisposes to an unusual location in the abdomen and an increasing risk of twisting and infarction. Its etiology may be congenital or acquired and clinical presentation is variable. Diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion, laboratory and imaging. Surgery is the only definitive treatment for this pathology. We report the case of a 23 year old woman with a history of recurrent episodes of abdominal pain in the left upper quadrant since childhood. On physical examination she was afebrile, hemodynamically stable, with marked abdominal tenderness in the left upper quadrant. Ultrasonography showed homogeneous splenomegaly. Abdominal CT-scan presented an enlarged, eutopic spleen, with swirling and congestion of hilum vessels. Splenic ischemia due to organ torsion was suspected. Exploratory laparoscopy was performed showing an 18 cm in diameter spleen free in left upper quadrant, with varicose veins in the periphery and without fixing ligaments. Laparoscopic splenectomy was completed. The pathology report showed ischemic necrosis of the organ. The patient progressed favorably and was discharged on the third postoperative day.

Bazo errante: una causa infrecuente de abdomen agudo / Wandering spleen: an unusual cause of acute abdomen

El síndrome de bazo errante es una condición infrecuente en la cual existe ausencia o hiperlaxitud en los elementos de fijación esplénicos que predispone a una ubicación inusual en el abdomen y mayor riesgo de torsión e infarto visceral. Su etiología puede ser congénita o adquirida y la presentación clínica es variable. El diagnóstico se basa en sospecha clínica, laboratorio y estudios por imágenes. La cirugía es el único tratamiento definitivo para esta afección. Presentamos el caso de una mujer de 23 años de edad con antecedentes de episodios recurrentes de dolor en hipocondrio izquierdo desde la infancia. Al examen físico se encontraba hemodinámicamente estable, afebril y con dolor en hipocondrio izquierdo. La ecografía mostró esplenomegalia homogénea y la tomografía de abdomen evidenció un bazo aumentado de tamaño, de posición conservada, con arremolinamiento y congestión de los vasos en el hilio esplénico. Se interpretó el cuadro como isquemia esplénica secundaria a torsión del pedículo vascular. Se realizó laparoscopia exploradora que evidenció bazo de 18 cm libre en hipocondrio izquierdo, con venas varicosas en la periferia y sin ligamentos de fijación. Se realizó esplenectomía por vía laparoscópica. La anatomía patológica informó necrosis isquémica del órgano. Evolucionó favorablemente con alta hospitalaria al tercer día postoperatorio.

Wandering spleen syndrome is a rare condition in which absence or laxity of splenic fixing elements predisposes to an unusual location in the abdomen and an increasing risk of twisting and infarction. Its etiology may be congenital or acquired and clinical presentation is variable. Diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion, laboratory and imaging. Surgery is the only definitive treatment for this pathology. We report the case of a 23 year old woman with a history of recurrent episodes of abdominal pain in the left upper quadrant since childhood. On physical examination she was afebrile, hemodynamically stable, with marked abdominal tenderness in the left upper quadrant. Ultrasonography showed homogeneous splenomegaly. Abdominal CT-scan presented an enlarged, eutopic spleen, with swirling and congestion of hilum vessels. Splenic ischemia due to organ torsion was suspected. Exploratory laparoscopy was performed showing an 18 cm in diameter spleen free in left upper quadrant, with varicose veins in the periphery and without fixing ligaments. Laparoscopic splenectomy was completed. The pathology report showed ischemic necrosis of the organ. The patient progressed favorably and was discharged on the third postoperative day.

Wandering spleen torsion causing acute abdominal pain in a child: case report and review of literature.

Wandering spleen is a rare occurrence where the spleen normal fixation to the abdominal wall is lost and thus allowed to change in position. We report a case of a child who presented with acute abdominal pain secondary to a wandering spleen complicated by torsion of its vascular pedicle. The diagnosis was promptly made using computed tomography and managed with splenectomy.

Torsion of a wandering spleen treated with partial splenectomy and splenopexy.

BACKGROUND: Wandering spleen is a rare and unusual entity, characterized by excessive mobility and displacement of the organ from its normal position. This happens due to congenital or acquired anomalies leading to the lack of the spleen's suspensory ligaments. Clinical presentation is variable; acute abdominal pain may occur when persistent torsion of the splenic pedicle results in splenic infarction. Ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging are modalities that may be used in diagnosis. The treatment of choice is surgery, with splenectomy or splenopexy, the latter being preferred. CASE REPORT: The patient was a 38-year-old woman with a 10-day history of left-sided abdominal pain. Imaging demonstrated a wandering spleen with partial infarction of the inferior pole. An open partial splenectomy with splenopexy of the remaining spleen was performed with the use of an absorbable mesh sutured to the abdominal wall and stomach. Her recovery was uneventful and on follow-up she had no signs of recurrence or complications. CONCLUSION: Wandering spleen should be considered in cases of acute abdominal pain, and surgery is the treatment of choice, with the goal of preservation of the organ whenever possible.

Laparoscopic splenectomy for infarcted splenoptosis in a child: a case report.

Wandering spleen is a rare birth defect characterized by absence or weakness of one or more of the ligaments that hold the spleen in its normal position. In this report we present the case of a 6-year-old girl admitted with diffuse abdominal pain, fever and emesis. Ultrasound and CT scan revealed the spleen was not found in its normal anatomical position. An enlarged spleen was identified displaced anteriorly and inferiorly at the L3 to L5-S1 level. Doppler ultrasonography of the splenic vessels revealed no blood flow consistent with infarction. Patient was taken to the operation room for a laparoscopic splenectomy. Treatment of choice for splenoptosis is surgery, either splenopexy or splenectomy. Decision to perform splenopexy or splenectomy depends on the viability of the spleen after detorsion. If the spleen appears infarcted, a splenectomy should be performed. Splenopexy is a reasonable option when the spleen appears viable after detorsion.

Sinal de enovelamento ("whirl-sign") em baço errante: relato de caso / The whirl-sign in the wandering spleen: a case report

O baço errante é uma rara anomalia congênita ou adquirida que pode causar sintomas abdominais inespecíficos. Dentre suas complicações, a torção do pedículo vascular constitui emergência cirúrgica e deve ser reconhecida. Relatamos o caso de uma jovem com dor abdominal aguda e massa palpável que demonstrou, à tomografia computadorizada, ter o baço fora da topografia usual, sem realce pelo contraste, associado à estrutura adjacente em espiral produzida pela torção do pedículo esplênico (“whirl-sign”).

Wandering spleen is a rare congenital or acquired anomaly that can cause nonespecific abdominal symptoms. Among its complications, torsion of the vascular pedicle is a surgical emergency, and must be recognized. We report a case of a young woman with acute abdominal pain and a palpable mass, whose computerized thomography revealed an ectopic spleen without enhancement, and a circular, whorled structure that proved to be the torsion of vascular pedicle (whirl-sign).

Laparoscopic pocket splenopexy for wandering spleen: a case report.

Wandering spleen is a very uncommon condition. Because of the risk of pedicle torsion and splenic ischemia, severe consequences may occur if not diagnosed and treated in time. Unfortunately, splenectomy is sometimes necessary (ie, when splenic infarction occurs). Once the diagnosis of wandering spleen is made, splenopexy is the treatment of choice. There are numerous techniques designed for splenopexy, either by open surgery or by minimally invasive approaches. We describe here a laparoscopic procedure that allows an excellent fixation of the spleen using the patient's own tissues. After a 2-year follow-up, the organ remains in place with good perfusion.