Splenic hamartoma: a case report and clinicopathological analysis of Japanese cases.

A 75-year-old man was referred to our department for the treatment of a gastric submucosal tumor-like protrusion which had gradually enlarged over 3 years. After examination with various types of imaging modalities, a splenic mass was diagnosed. Splenectomy was performed because it was difficult to determine preoperatively whether the splenic mass was benign or malignant. The postoperative pathological examination revealed a splenic hamartoma without malignancy. Despite the preoperative examination with advanced diagnostic imaging techniques and equipment, an accurate diagnosis of splenic hamartoma is difficult due to its rarity, lack of specific symptoms, and various inadequacies of radiological imaging techniques. Here we present a rare case of splenic hamartoma and discuss the clinical characteristics obtained from a review of Japanese cases of this rare condition.