Published online Mar 28, 2016. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i12.3506
Peer-review started: July 30, 2015
First decision: September 9, 2015
Revised: September 28, 2015
Accepted: October 17, 2015
Article in press: October 20, 2015
Published online: March 28, 2016
Processing time: 238 Days and 20.3 Hours
Primary splenic angiosarcoma (PSA) is an unusual and highly malignant vascular tumour with a high rate of metastatic. Moreover, the research on prognosis of the disease is poor. The epidemiology, etiology, clinical diagnosis and treatment of the disease remain challenging, because case reports of the disease are few in number. In accordance with other malignant tumors, PSA is very aggressive, and the majority of patients in which this disease is found are at an advanced stage. Almost all patients die within 12 mo of diagnosis irrespective of treatment. We report here a woman who had complained of upper bellyache and anorexia for 10 d. Magnetic resonance imaging showed enlargement of the spleen with multiple heterogeneous masses in the lower pole of the spleen. A hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy was performed which allowed histopathologic diagnosis. The patient was diagnosed with PSA and liver metastasis, and succumbed to the disease 35 d after surgery. The literature was finished combined with the clinical features, diagnosis and management of PSA.
Core tip: Primary splenic angiosarcoma (PSA) is an unusual tumor originating from the blood vessel. To date, very few cases of PSA have been reported. We report a woman who had PSA after splenectomy, and liver metastasis was also detected. The patient died 35 d after surgery. We review the literature and conclude that early diagnosis followed by splenectomy is beneficial for better survival of the patients.