Incidental finding of a splenic hamartoma with tumour-like extramedullary erythropoiesis

Abstract

Hamartomas of the spleen are rare benign tumour-like lesions that tend to be asymptomatic incidental findings. Splenic hamartomas with tumour-like extramedullary erythropoiesis are extremely rare. A 70-year-old male patient with dyspnoea and a nodular intrapulmonary lesion morphologically verified by CT underwent fibre bronchoscopy, which showed a pea-shaped foreign body that was retrieved without complication. As a secondary finding, the CT showed a splenic lesion of about 8 cm in size. An MR study showed an expansive process in the center of the spleen. The patient was completely free of clinical symptoms. Because of the unknown nature and the high risk for spontaneous rupture of the lesion, a splenectomy was performed. The histological analyses revealed tumour-like extramedullary erythropoiesis of the spleen. The patient was discharged in good condition ten days postoperatively. A hamartoma of the spleen with extramedullary tumor-like erythropoiesis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a splenic lesion.

Incidentally discovered asymptomatic splenic hamartoma misdiagnosed as an aneurysm: A case report

“…SH is a rare benign tumor that occurs at any age, with a mean age of 27 years for men and 37 years for women, and has equal incidence in males and females[ 5 , 6 ]. The tumor is usually detected incidentally as a singular lesion with a diameter ranging from a few millimeters up to 20 cm[ 7 ], but women seem to have larger lesions, probably due to hormonal influence on tumor growth[ 8 ].…”

Splenic hamartoma–a rare finding

“…9 Most patients are asymptomatic, 10 but there are some cases with hematological symptoms -anemia, thrombocytopenia, and infections, in addition to the clinical symptoms caused by tumor mass. 3 Only 15% of patients have symptoms, most commonly abdominal pain, splenomegaly, cytopenia, and accidental spontaneous rupture. 9 Preoperative diagnosis using a combination of multi-modality imaging exams may be possible.…”

“…1 Splenic tumors are relatively rare and include malignancies such as lymphomas, angiosarcomas, plasmacytomas, primary malignant fibrous histiocytomas, and metastatic disease. [1][2][3][4] The most common benign splenic lesions include: 5 • Cysts.…”

“…Splenic hamartoma was first described in 1961 by Rokitansky. [3][4][5][6][7] Epidemiologically, splenic hamartoma can affect both sexes similarly, regardless of age, predominantly in older adults. 5 About 20% of hamartoma occurs in children.…”