Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 14, 2026; 32(38): 120967
Published online Oct 14, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.120967
Published online Oct 14, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.120967
Diagnostic challenge of intrahepatic splenosis masquerading as hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report and review of literature
Martin Sikiric, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
Hrvoje Premec, Maja Mijic, Milos Lalovac, Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
Nikola Sobocan, Tajana Filipec Kanizaj, Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Merkur, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
Eva Lovric, Department of Pathology, Clinical Department of Pathology and Cytology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
Lovro Kavur, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
Author contributions: Filipec Kanizaj T and Sobocan N collected the patient’s clinical data and designed the case report; Kavur L and Lovric E contributed to the clinical data collection and analysis; Sikiric M conducted the literature review; Sikiric M, Lalovac M, Mijic M, and Premec H analyzed the data presented in the table, and contributed to writing and editing of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools (specifically ChatGPT) were used solely for linguistic refinement and formatting assistance. No AI tool was involved in the generation of research data, interpretation of results, or formulation of conclusions. All AI-generated outputs were critically reviewed and revised by the authors.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of this report.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Martin Sikiric, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, Zagreb 10000, Croatia. sikiric.martin@gmail.com
Received: March 23, 2026
Revised: May 13, 2026
Accepted: July 10, 2026
Published online: October 14, 2026
Processing time: 166 Days and 9.6 Hours
Revised: May 13, 2026
Accepted: July 10, 2026
Published online: October 14, 2026
Processing time: 166 Days and 9.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Intrahepatic splenosis (HS) is a rare benign condition that may mimic malignant liver lesions on conventional imaging. We report the case of a 61-year-old man with a prior splenectomy in whom a hepatic lesion suspicious for hepatocellular carcinoma led to surgical resection. Histopathological examination ultimately confirmed HS. This case emphasizes the diagnostic challenges and common pitfalls associated with this condition and underscores the importance of considering HS in the differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions.