Laparoscopic splenectomy in a patient with sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation

Abstract

Sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation (SANT) of the spleen is a specific, tumor-forming, non-neoplastic, vascular lesion with few reported cases worldwide. Herein, we describe the case of a patient who underwent laparoscopic splenectomy for SANT. A 47-year-old woman underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for suspected gastric submucosal tumor. Contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography revealed the presence of a gradually enhancing lesion in the splenic hilum. Although we suspected splenic fibrotic hamartoma, malignancy could not be ruled out. Therefore, the patient underwent laparoscopic splenectomy, resulting in the histopathological diagnosis of SANT. Although SANT is a benign tumor, it may be difficult to obtain definitive diagnosis using preoperative imaging alone. Because the long-term natural history of SANT is unknown, we believe that splenectomy could be an appropriate technique for the diagnosis and treatment of SANT.