Splenic infarction

Splenic infarction

This condition commonly occurs in patients with a massively enlarged spleen from myeloproliferative syndrome, portal hypertension or vascular occlusion produced by previous surgical intervention (such as spleen-preserving distal pancre - atectomy), pancreatic disease, splenic vein thrombosis or sickle cell disease. The infarct may be asymptomatic or give rise to left upper quadrant and left shoulder tip pain. Contrast-enhanced CT will show the characteristic perfusion defect in the enlarged spleen ( Figure 70.9 ). Treatment is conservative and splenec - tomy should be considered only when a septic infarct causes an abscess.