Purpose or Case Report: The spleen is rarely the first organ to come to mind in discussing pathology of the abdomen, and indeed may often be the last. However, there are a multitude of splenic processes and abnormalities that should be kept in mind when discussing the pediatric abdomen. Additionally, splenic abnormalities, or lack thereof, can also be clues to diagnosis in more difficult cases. Methods & Materials: A retrospective analysis of multimodality imaging in pediatric patients demonstrating splenic imaging abnormalities, who presented to an urban children’s hospital since 2005 is performed. Imaging and clinical history are correlated with laboratory findings where applicable. A variety of splenic abnormalities are selected for imaging review. Results: Review of splenic abnormalities is provided with imaging examples. Examples include metabolic, malignancy, trauma, and other disorders, including, but not limited to abnormalities in splenic size, cystic and solid splenic lesions, infiltrative/consumptive processes, and situs disorders. Conclusions: The spleen is often the forgotten organ of the pediatric abdomen, but there are many exciting things to be found in the left upper quadrant. Clinicians and pediatric radiologists alike should not disregard the spleen in abdominal cases, for there are many pathologies and clues to be found.
Misiura, Anne
( St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
, Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
, United States
)
Urbine, Jacqueline
( St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
, Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
, United States
)
Poletto, Erica
( St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
, Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
, United States
)
Malik, Archana
( St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
, Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
, United States
)
Mallon, Mea
( St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
, Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
, United States
)
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