Splenosis presenting as occult gastrointestinal bleeding.

摘要: A 48-year-old man presented with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding and anemia. Routine endoscopic evaluation was nondiagnostic. Angiography demonstrated multiple apparent arteriovenous malformations. Exploratory laparotomy revealed numerous splenic implants along the small large bowels, some of which had apparently eroded through bowel mucosa bled. Excision these penetrating lesions prevented further bleeding. An incidentally noted renal cell cancer also resected. The patient's splenosis result childhood trauma that caused rupture precipitated splenectomy. Splenosis develops frequently following traumatic rupture. Experimental evidence suggests presence an intact spleen suppresses growth development implants. Following splenectomy, splenules may replace “housekeeping” immunologic functions spleen, but even patients documented should be considered functionally hyposplenic. While in most cases cause no symptoms, must differential diagnosis previously splenectomized who present unexplained masses or occult Am. J. Hematol. 65:56–61, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.