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CASE REPORT article

Front. Oncol.

Sec. Surgical Oncology

Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1551601

Two case reports of renal-splenic disease presenting as renal tumors or metastases, with a literature review

Provisionally accepted
Lijing  XuLijing Xu1*jialin  wangjialin wang1guangxi  sunguangxi sun2Hao  ZengHao Zeng2*
  • 1West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, China
  • 2West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

This article provides a comprehensive review of studies and case analyses on ectopic splenic tissue, with a particular focus on renosplenic disease. Ectopic splenic tissue refers to the abnormal non-physiological localization of spleen tissue, commonly resulting from splenic tissue implantation or hematogenous metastasis following splenectomy. Renosplenic disease is rare and often misdiagnosed as a renal tumor or tumor recurrence, which can lead to unnecessary surgical interventions. By discussing two cases of postoperative renosplenic disease in detail and combining them with a literature review, this article explores the pathogenesis, clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, and diagnostic methods of the condition.Analysis of 39 previously reported cases of nephrosplenopathy revealed that it predominantly affects male patients, typically occurs on the left side, and is often associated with a history of splenectomy, with lesions identified on average 20 years post-splenectomy. The clinical manifestations of nephroplenic disease are nonspecific and are mostly incidental findings during imaging examinations. Hybrid SPECT/CT and SPIO-enhanced MRI are considered the gold standards for diagnosing ectopic splenic tissue. However, the majority of cases are still confirmed through needle biopsy or surgical resection. While surgical diagnosis allows for lesion removal, it also carries risks of postoperative complications, such as intestinal fistula, as reported in one of the cases in this study.Research indicates that ectopic splenic tissue is generally benign but can cause symptoms by compressing adjacent structures. For asymptomatic patients, conservative management or active surveillance is a viable approach. However, in cases of large lesions, the decision between conservative treatment and surgical intervention should be carefully weighed.By summarizing 48 years of nephroplenic disease case data, this article aims to provide a clinical reference for the diagnosis and management of the condition. It emphasizes the critical role of imaging examinations and the potential for conservative treatment, aiming to reduce surgical risks and recovery times while improving diagnostic accuracy, treatment outcomes, and patients' quality of life.

Keywords: Renal Splenosis, Diagnostic Imaging, Surgery, Metastatic cancer, RCC (Renal Cell Carcinoma)

Received: 26 Dec 2024; Accepted: 11 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Xu, wang, sun and Zeng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Lijing Xu, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, China
Hao Zeng, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

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