Solitary Splenic Metastasis from Gastric Cancer: Report of a Case

Abstract

We report a rare case of metachronous and solitary metastasis to the spleen from gastric cancer. A 69-year-old man who had undergone a distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer 48 months earlier was found to have a solitary lesion in the spleen, and an increased serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. The patient underwent a laparotomy for suspected metastasis to the spleen. At laparotomy, a tumor was found in the upper pole of the spleen without involvement of other organs, and a splenectomy was performed. Histological examination confirmed that the splenic tumor was a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma similar to the primary gastric cancer. The postoperative course was uneventful and his serum CEA decreased to within normal levels. The patient died of multiple metastases to the liver and peritoneal dissemination 40 months after the splenectomy.

Metastatic Disease to the Pancreas and Spleen

“…Therefore, in most cases there are likely to be undetectable micrometastases in other organs. 108 As with other primary cancers, gastric cancer that metastasizes to the spleen is treated with splenectomy.…”

Metastatic splenic α-fetoprotein-producing adenocarcinoma: Report of a case

“…The ordinary route of splenic metastasis from gastric cancer was thought to be through the splenic artery, as it is usually accompanied by multiple organ metastases. 23 Nevertheless, the tumor in the spleen could also be classifi ed as HAC according to its histological features, positive immunochemical staining for AFP, and enhanced serum AFP levels.…”

Solitary splenic metastasis from early gastric cancer: Report of a case

“…[5][6][7] In most cases, however, the primary lesion was at an advanced stage and was often associated with nodal or peritoneal recurrences, and the prognosis of these patients was reportedly poor. Moreover, hematogenous recurrence is rarely observed in early gastric cancer.…”

“…Only a few case reports have documented splenic metastasis from gastric cancer, suggesting that most splenic metastases occur in the advanced stages of gastric cancer when the prognosis is poor even if the metastasis is surgically removed. 2,[5][6][7] We herein present a very rare case of a solitary splenic metastasis, from early gastric cancer, which was successfully treated by a splenectomy.…”