Thoracic splenosis diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology: A case report

A case of thoracic splenosis diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of s ubpleural lung lesions is presented. The patient, a 49-yr-old male with a h istory of gunshot wound to his trunk with splenic rupture and splenectomy s everal years previously, presented with recent hemoptysis and multiple subp leural solid nodules shown in the left lung field by CT scan. As the possib ility of a metastatic malignancy vs. mesothelioma it-as entertained, an FNA It,as performed on one of these lesions, revealing lymphoid tissue with ab undant vascularity simulating the structure of splenic tissue. In view of t his finding, supported by, the absence of splenic outline in the CT radiogr aph, the diagnosis of splenosis it-as made. This is the fourth reported cas e of thoracic splenosis in which FNA cytology was utilized for diagnosis, y et the first in which the diagnosis was based exclusively on the FNA cytolo gic findings. Clinical, pathologic, and diagnostic aspects of this entity a re discussed. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2001;25:321-324. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.