A rare diagnosis of a focal liver lesion

Splenosis can be considered as a benign condition due to the presence of heterotopic splenic tissue in abdomen, thorax and pelvis because of a massive splenic trauma or surgery. Here we report the case of a patient with an unknown hepatic mass, chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and a previous splenectomy after abdominal trauma. In our case lesion could not be clearly defined by ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance. Classical features of malignancy were not demonstrated at computed tomography, while at magnetic resonance imaging the differential diagnosis of the lesion appeared quite difficult and debate. Then an ultrasound-guided biopsy demonstrated the liver mass in left hepatic lobe consisted of splenic tissue and some millimetric accessory spleens in the left upper quadrant. So the possibility of an intra-hepatic splenosis should be taken into account in patients with an unknown liver mass and a history of previous abdominal trauma, followed by splenectomy. The conclusive diagnosis of intra-hepatic splenosis was given by ultrasound-guided biopsy.