The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine

 

Volume 73 Number 7
November 2006		 back to contents
Splenic Abscess in a Patient with Wegener’s Granulomatosis Treated with Laparoscopic Splenectomy 1045-1048
Konstandinos Albanopoulos, M.D.1, Fotios Archontovassilis, M.D.1, Nicholas Alexakis, M.D.1, Aikaterini Pantelidaki, M.D.2, Costas Bramis, M.D.1, and Emmanuel Leandros, M.D.1

1First Department of Propedeutic Surgery, Medical School, University of Athens, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece, and 2Department of Histopathology, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Address all correspondence to Nicholas Alexakis, M.D., L Riancur 64, Athens 11523, Greece; email: nalexakis@yahoo.co.uk.

Accepted for publication May 2006.

Abstract

Splenic abscess complicating Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG) has not been previously described. We report the occurrence of a splenic abscess in a 45-year-old white male suffering from WG. The patient presented with persistent fever and abdominal pain. Magnetic resonance imaging showed two splenic cystic lesions. Differential diagnosis was splenic hematoma or abscess. The patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy and laparoscopic splenectomy. Pathology revealed a centrally located cavity full of pus and necrotic material. Although there were no signs of active vasculitis, all other histological features were compatible with WG. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and his disease is in remission. Laparoscopic splenectomy appears to be a safe procedure, but its impact on the management of splenic abscess needs to be determined further.

Key Words

Wegener’s granulomatosis, splenic abscess, laparoscopic splenectomy.

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