Accessory Spleen: A Rare and Incidental Finding in the Stomach Wall.

ABSTRACT

An accessory spleen is splenic tissue located separately from the anatomical location of the spleen and is a rare phenomenon. It can be found within the gastrointestinal tract. Clinically, accessory spleens are benign but can be misidentified as reactive lymph nodes or malignant gastrointestinal tumors. They are often diagnosed via endoscopy or imaging. We report the case of a woman presenting with iron deficiency anemia who was incidentally noted to have a gastric submucosal lesion with pathology significant for accessory spleen. As this case illustrates, when submucosal lesions are present in the stomach, especially in patients with a history of splenectomy, the endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) operator should consider the possible presence of an accessory spleen to minimize invasive removal procedures.