Isolated Splenic Metastasis from Colorectal Carcinoma

Most splenic metastasis occurs in patients with the widespread visceral metastasis. However, isolated splenic metastasis is very rare. Here we report an isolated splenic metastasis in a patient with colon cancer without any other metastasis and a review of the literature are presented. A 57-year female underwent right hemicolectomy for adenocarcinoma of ascending colon on February, 2004 and the stage of carcinoma was T3N2M0. On August 2004, she hospitalized due to isolated splenic metastasis. The serum carcinoembryonic antigen level was 1.69 ng/ml. An abdominal CT scan revealed a 1 cm sized metastatic mass at the hilum of the spleen. The same finding was shown on MRI and PET. There was no other recurrence or metastatic evidence in radiologic study. Splenectomy was performed and pathologic result of the splenic tumor was metastatic adenocarcinoma from colon cancer. After operation, she was treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. It may be necessary to attend the splenic metatasis in patients who underwent curative resection for colorectal cancer even though splenic metastasis is very rare. (J Korean Surg Soc 2006;70:482-485)