Asymptomatic appearance of splenic infarction in Wegener's granulomatosis

Pol J Radiol. 2011 Apr;76(2):43-5.

Abstract

Splenic involvements in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) are rarely diagnosed ante-mortem, while an autopsy is able to reveal a high rate of spleen lesions (78-100%). To date, there have been a few reported cases of splenic abnormalities in WG, including: splenomegaly, capsular adhesion, dysfunction and infarction. We reported a case of biopsy-verified WG with radiological evidence of diffuse spleen infarction despite the lack of any clinical symptoms. We concluded that due to a potential risk of severe hemorrhagic complications when anticoagulant therapy is necessary, radiological assessment of spleen should be performed regularly in this group of patients, particularly because spleen involvement can be asymptomatic.

Keywords: Wegener’s granulomatosis; spleen; splenic infarction.

Publication types

  • Case Reports