A wandering spleen: A common presentation of an uncommon anomaly

Abstract

Background: With the advent of real time ultrasonography of the abdomen, the spleen is no longer an inaccessible organ. Wandering spleen is a rare entity with only less than 500 cases reported so far.

Method: This case report presents a 16-year- old Nigerian girl admitted in a medical centre but referred for ultrasonography on account of a clinical history of lower abdominal tenderness.

Result: Ultrasonography examination revealed that the spleen was not found in its normal anatomical position. However, a well acoustic signature of the spleen was seen in the pelvis.

Conclusion: Ultrasonography which is far cheaper than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) is a valuable diagnostic aid in this condition.