THORACIC SPLENOSIS - FROM A THORACOSCOPIC VIEWPOINT

Thoraic splenosis is a rare entity after splenic and diaphragmatic inj ury. We report on a patient who had left pulmonary masses on a routine chest roentgenogram. It was impossible to rule out the possibility of other tumors or malignancies from past history, radiographic findings and needle biopsy. The patient underwent a video-assisted thoracoscop ic surgery. The resected tumor was diagnosed as the splenic tissue. Th is represents the first reported case, that diagnosed by video-assiste d thoracoscopic resection, of thoracic splenosis. The course of dissem ination of the splenic tissue to chest is considered to be the costoph regmatic recessus by the intrathoracic findings thoracoscopically. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.