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Case Forty One - Splenic Calcifications.

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Clinical History: Twenty-three year old woman with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Findings: A single axial section from the mid-abdominal region of this CT scan, performed with oral contrast, demonstrates the incidental finding of multiple calcifications in the spleen.

Diagnosis: Splenic Calcifications.

Discussion: Multiple splenic calcifications are a very frequent incidental finding on a CT scan of the abdomen. Their etiologies are myriad, and are quite similar to those in other organs such as the adrenal glands. They include:

Infectious

previous granulomatous disease (tuberculosis, histoplasmosis)
opportunistic infection in AIDS patients (Pneumocystis carinii)

Traumatic

Vascular

"phleboliths"
post-ischemic/infarction

References:
Grumbach K, and McDowell RK. The Spleen. In: Computed Tomography and
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Whole Body, 3rd edition. Haaga JR, Lanzieri CF,
Sartoris DJ and Zerhouni EJ, eds. Mosby-Year Book, Inc., 1194.

Taylor AJ, Dodds WJ, Erickson SJ and Stewart ET. CT of Acquired Abnormalities
of the Spleen. AJR 1991; 157:1213-1219.

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Submitted by:
Alan David Bortz, M.D.
Thomas E. Herbener, M.D.