Splenectomy for solitary splenic metastasis of ovarian cancer

Yang Seok Koh , Jung Chul Kim and Chol Kyoon Cho

Department of Surgery, Chonnam University Medical School, Chonnam National University Hospital, 8 Hak-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-757, Korea

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BMC Cancer 2004, 4:96doi:10.1186/1471-2407-4-96


Published:	22 December 2004

Abstract

Background

Splenic metastases occur in rare cases with a few case reports of patients in the literature. Generally, splenic metastases mean late dissemination of a disease. Solitary splenic metastases from solid tumors are extremely unusual.

Case presentation

We report a case of a patient with ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma who underwent splenectomy for isolated parenchymal metastasis.

Conclusion

Ovarian epithelial tumors comprised most of isolated splenic metastases from gynecologic tumor. When isolated splenic recurrence is suspected on image studies and serum tumor markers, intraabdominal gross findings should be examined to exclude peritoneal carcinomatosis. If only spleen was under suspicion of recurrence of ovarian cancer, splenectomy may play a therapeutic role.