Diffuse hemangiomatosis of the spleen: splenic hemangiomatosis presenting with giant splenomegaly, anemia, and thrombocytopenia.

Abstract

In an elderly patient with oligosymptomatic giant splenomegaly, clinical and laboratory data were nondiagnostic, while nonhomogeneous splenic enlargement was the only finding detected by imaging procedures. Splenectomy was performed and diffuse hemangiomatosis of predominantly capillary-type found. The failure of imaging techniques to even hint at the nature of the underlying disorder is comprehensible in view of the organ being essentially replaced in toto by the abnormal vascular channels. Diffuse splenic hemangiomatosis, a rare condition, may cause hypersplenism, and its diagnosis may be elusive because of misleading patterns on imaging.