A CLINICAL STUDY ON 13 CASES OF SPLENIC TUMOR

Abstract

Splenic tumors irrespective of primary or metastatic lesion, are relatively rare. Thirteen patients with splenic tumor who were treated at the hospital were subjected to a clinical study. Eleven patients had primary splenic tumor. There were four cases of lymphangioma, one case of hemangioma, one case of hamartoma, three cases of malignant lymphoma and two cases of angiosarcomas. The remaining two patients had metastatic splenic tumor, and their primary lesions were ovarian cancer and gastric cascer respectively. Of six patients with benign primary splenic tumor, four patients were asymptomatic and the remaining two patients who had a huge lymphangioma complained of upper abdominal discomfort because of splenomegaly and a rupture of a hemangioma. Subjective symptoms were noted on all five patients with malignant primary splenic tumor. Two patients with metastatic splenic tumor were found due to elevated levels in serum tumor markers. We could not rule out probable malignant tumor on four out of six patients with benign primary splenic tumor. Actual preoperative diagnosis was made on four out of five cases of malignant primary splenic tumor and all two case of metastatic splenic tumor. Splenic tumors prenent difficulty in preoperative diagnosis, and there are some cases showing shock resulting from spontaneous rupture of the tumor. So we consider that all patients with splenic tumor are possible candidates for opreation.