Detection of splenosis by radionuclide scanning.

Splenosis is the autotransplantation of splenic tissue following trauma. The presence of residual nodules following splenectomy has been investigated by a sensitive scanning method employing reinjection of 99Tcm-labelled, heat-damaged autologous erythrocytes. Splenosis was detected in 11 of 19 patients who had had splenectomy for traumatic rupture of spleen. Four of them had multiple nodules, the others a single nodule. In one case, the splenic nodule did not take up the sulphur colloid, although it could be visualised on selective splenic scan. We found no splenic nodules in 23 patients who had splenectomy for non-traumatic reasons. It is concluded that the key factor in splenosis is trauma.