Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Splenic Metastases: Diagnostic Methods

  • Chapter
Liver Cancer

Part of the book series: Methods of Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy and Prognosis ((HAYAT,volume 5))

  • 1811 Accesses

Metastases from solid tumors to the spleen due to hematogenous dissemination are confined to the splenic parenchyma, and should not be confused with small superficial subcapsular foci associated with peritoneal dissemination observed in ovarian cancers (Tserkezoglou et al., 2005). According to this definition, splenic metastases were thought to be excep tional but the incidence of reported cases has been increasing due to the improvement of medical imaging and the long-term follow-up of patients with cancer. Metastases to the spleen generally occur in the context of mul-tivisceral metastatic cancer at terminal stage. Solitary metastases have also been reported (Compérat et al., 2007), and are becoming a diagnostic dilemma with primary tumors of the spleen. After a brief description of epi demiology, pathologic features, pathogenesis and clinical aspects of splenic metastases, this review will outline diagnostic procedures and the differential diagnoses.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Agha-Mohammadi, S., and Calne, R.Y. 2001. Solitary splenic metastasis. Case report and review of the literature. Am. J. Clin. Oncol. 24:306–310.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alici, S., Kosem, M., and Kotan, C. 2003. Isolated splenic metastases occurring as an unknown pri mary lesion. J. Postgrad. Med. 49:83–84.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Avesani, E.C., Cioffi, U., de Simone, M., Botti, F., Carrara, A., and Ferrero, S. 2001. Synchronous isolated splenic metastasis from colon carci noma. Am. J. Clin. Oncol. 24:311–312.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barreca, M., Angelini, D., Gallo, A., Puntillo, F., Amodio, P.M., and Fernandes, E. 2001. Single asymptomatic splenic metastasis of breast car cinoma: report of a clinical case. G. Chir. 22:227–228.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berge T. 1974. Splenic metastases. Frequencies and patterns. Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand. 82:499–506.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho, L., Azevedo, I., Salgado, L., Ferreira, E.S., Henrique, R., de Carvalho, R.G., and Vieira, E. 1997. Squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix metastatic to the spleen — case report. Gynecol. Oncol. 67:107–110.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cavallaro, A., Modugno, P., Specchia, M., Pontenza, A.E., Loschiavo, V., Colli, R., Lauriola, L., and Barone, C. 2004. Isolated splenic metastasis from colon cancer. J. Exp. Clin. Cancer Res. 23:143–146.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, A.F., Groom, A.C., and MacDonald, I.C. 2002. Dissemination and growth of cancer cells in metastatic sites. Nat. Rev. Cancer 2:563–572.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Compérat, E., Azzouzi, A.R., Chartier-Kastler E., Ménégaux F., Capron, F., Richard, F., and Charlotte, F. 2007. Late recurrence of a prostatic adenocarcinoma as a solitary splenic metastasis. Urol. Int. 78:86–88.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dubecq-Princeteau, F., Lefranc, J.P., Touboul, E., Chauvel, A., and Le Charpentier, Y. 1997. Adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube: natural history of an isolated splenic metastasis. Acta Oncol. 36:221–223.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Genna, M., Leopardi, F., Valloncini, E., Molfetta, M., De Manzoni, G., and Castelli, A. 2003. Metachronous splenic metastasis of colon can cer. A case report. Minerva. Chir. 58:811–814.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giuliani, A., Caporale, A., Di Bari, M., Demoro, M., and Mingazzini, P. 1999. Isolated splenic metastasis from endometrial carcinoma. J. Exp. Clin. Cancer Res. 18:93–96.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goodison, S., Kawai, K., Hihara, J., Jiang, P., Yang, M., Urquidi, V., Hoffman, R.M., and Tarin, D. 2003. Prolonged dormancy and site-specific growth potential of cancer cells spon taneously disseminated from non metastatic breast tumors as revealed by labeling with green Fluorescent Protein. Clin. Cancer Res. 9:3808–3814.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hadjileontis, C., Amplianitis, I., Valsamides, C., Harisis, G., Nepka, H., and Kafanas, A. 2004. Solitary splenic metastasis of endometrial carci noma ten years after hysterectomy. Case report and review of the literature. Eur. J. Gynaecol. Oncol. 25:233–235.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoar, F.J., Chan, S.Y., Stonelake, P.S., Wolverson, R.W., and Bareford, D. 2003. Splenic rupture as a consequence of dual malignant pathology: a case report. J. Clin. Pathol. 56:709–710.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ishida, H., Konno, K., Ishida, J., Shirayama, K., Naganuma, H., Komatsuda, T., Hamashima, Y., and Masamune, O. 1997. Isolated splenic metas-tases. J. Ultrasound Med. 16:743–749.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Iype, S., Akbar, M.A., and Krishna, G. 2002. Isolated splenic metastasis from carcinoma of the breast. Postgrad. Med. J. 78:173–174.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J.C., Jeong, C.S., Kim, H.C., Yu, C.S., Kang, G.H., and Lee, M.G. 2000. Isolated splenic metastasis from colorectal carcinoma: a case report. J. Korean Med. Sci. 15:355–358.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kimura, Y., Miyazaki, M., Saeki, H., Ohga, T., Nozoe, T., and Sugimachi, K. 2003. Solitary splenic metastasis derived from esophageal can cer. Hepatogastroenterology 50:1336–1337.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koh, Y.S., Kim, J.C., and Cho, C.K. 2004. Splenectomy for solitary splenic metastasis of ovarian cancer. BMC. Cancer 4:96

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kraus, M.D., Fleming, M.D., and Vonderheide, R.H. 2001. The spleen as a diagnostic specimen: a review of 10 years' experience at two tertiary care institutions. Cancer 91:2001–2009.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kugel, V., Dekel, Y., Konichezky, M., Baniel, J., Livne, P.M., and Koren, R. 2003. Unusual splenic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma. A case report and review of the literature. Pathol. Res. Pract. 199:739–743.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lam, K.Y., and Tang, V. 2000.Metastatic tumors to the spleen. A 25-year clinicopathologic study. Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. 124:526–530.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mayayo, E., Blazquez, S., Gomez-Aracil, V., Sauri, A., and Martinez, S. 2003. Spleen metastasis from thyroid carcinoma. Report of a case with diagnosis by fine needle aspiration cytology. Acta Cytol. 47:1116–1118.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, D.H., Wu, Y., Weston, A.P., Mcanaw, M.P., Bromfield, C., and Bhattatiry, M.M. 2003. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma of spleen diag nosed by fine-needle aspiration Spleen. Am. J. Med. Sci. 326:51–54.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mollejo, M., Algara, P., Mateo, M., Menarguez, J., Pascual, E., Fresno, M.F., Camacho, F., and Piris, A. 2003. Large B-cell lymphoma present ing in the spleen: Identification of different clin-icopathologic conditions. Am. J. Surg. Pathol. 27: 895–902.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Naseem, M.S., Jan, H.A., Britton, K.E., and Nargund, V.H. 1998. Splenic metastasis from adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Br. J. Urol. 82:597–598.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Okuyama, T., Oya, M., and Ishikawa, H. 2001. Isolated splenic metastasis of sigmoid colon cancer: a case report. Jpn. J. Clin. Oncol. 31:341–345.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Opocher, E., Santambrogio, R., Bianchi, P., Cioffi, U., De Simone, M., Vellini, S., and Montorsi, M. 2000. Isolated splenic metastasis from gastric carcinoma. value of CEA and CA 19–9 in early diagnosis: report of two case. Am. J. Clin. Oncol. 23:579–580.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pang, L.C. 2004. Solitary recurrent metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in the spleen: case report. South Med. J. 97:301–304.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pantel, K., and Brakenhoff, R.H. 2004. Dissecting the metastatic cascade. Nat. Rev. Cancer 4: 448–456.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, B.J., and Smith, S.L. 2004. Isolated splenic metastasis from primary lung Adenocarcinoma. South. Med. J. 97:298–300.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sharpe, R.W., Rector, J.T., Rushin, J.M., Garvin, D.F., and Cotelingam, J.D. 1993. Splenic metas tasis in hairy cell leukemia. Cancer 71:2222– 2226.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tas, F., Ustuner, Z., Buyukbabani, N., Tenekeci, N., and Topuz, E. 2004. Massive and isolated metas-tases to spleen of uveal malignant melanoma. Retina 24:170–172.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tserkezoglou, A., Kontou, S., Hatjieleftheriou, G., Nikolaidou, M.E., Plataniotis, G., Apostolikas, N., and Magiakos, G. 2005. Solitary parenchymal splenic recurrence of ovarian adenocarcinoma: a case report and review of the literature. Anticancer Res. 25:1471–1476.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vyas, S.J., Chitaleb, A.R., and Deshpande, R.K. 2002. Late splenic metastasis after curative resection for oesophageal carcinoma. Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg. 22:1011–1013.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yamanouchi, K., Ikematsu, Y., Waki, S., Kida, H., Nishiwaki, Y., Gotoh, K., Ozawa, T., and Uchimura, M. 2002. Solitary splenic metastasis from gastric cancer: report of a case. Surg. Today 32:1081–1084.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service d'Anatomie Pathologie, GH La Pitié-Salpetrière, Boulevard de l'hôpital, Paris, 75013, France

    Eva Compérat & Frédéric Charlotte

Authors
  1. Eva Compérat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Frédéric Charlotte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Kean University, Union, NJ, USA

    M. A. Hayat  & M. A. Hayat  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Compérat, E., Charlotte, F. (2009). Splenic Metastases: Diagnostic Methods. In: Hayat, M.A. (eds) Liver Cancer. Methods of Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy and Prognosis, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9804-8_36

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9804-8_36

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-9803-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-9804-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation