The bare area of the spleen: a constant CT feature of the ascitic abdomen.

On computed tomographic (CT) scans of the abdomen in patients with ascites, there is one consistently recognizable area of the spleen that is not surrounded by fluid. This area, designated the bare area of the spleen, is related anatomically to the upper anterior part of the left kidney, specifically the Gerota fascia. Awareness of this relation enables differentiation of intraperitoneal fluid from pleural fluid on cross-sectional CT images.