{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T07:10:04Z","timestamp":1784013004408,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774828800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Oncol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Splenosis is a rare, benign disorder that arises after splenic trauma or splenectomy. Because its imaging features are nonspecific and often mimic those of malignant tumors, it is frequently misdiagnosed as malignant. The condition often presents without specific symptoms or elevated tumor markers, further complicating the diagnostic process.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Case presentation<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A 47-year-old woman with a prior history of splenectomy 20 years earlier after trauma presented with a progressively enlarging pelvic mass. Serial imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance imaging, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and computed tomography, indicated a potential gastrointestinal malignancy, although all tumor markers remained within normal limits. Image-guided percutaneous biopsy was considered but deemed unsuitable due to the complex anatomical location of the dominant mass in the rectouterine pouch, where a safe needle trajectory avoiding bowel and major vessels could not be guaranteed. Exploratory surgery was performed, and intraoperative frozen-section analysis of an approximately 5-cm purple-brown nodule confirmed the diagnosis of splenosis. Histopathological examination with immunohistochemical staining (CD8+, CD68+, CD117-, DOG1-) confirmed the diagnosis of splenosis and excluded malignancies such as gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and carcinoma. Smaller implants located in the omentum and mesentery were preserved. The patient\u2019s postoperative course was uneventful, and she expressed both relief and satisfaction with the benign diagnosis as well as the avoidance of unnecessary extensive resection.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This case highlights the necessity of considering splenosis in the differential diagnosis of pelvic masses, especially in patients with a history of splenic trauma or splenectomy. A comprehensive evaluation that incorporates clinical history, advanced imaging modalities\u2014including magnetic resonance imaging and ^99mTc-labeled heat-damaged red blood cell scintigraphy\u2014as well as multidisciplinary consultation, can enhance diagnostic accuracy and help prevent overtreatment. Current evidence indicates that asymptomatic splenosis does not necessitate surgical intervention, and precise preoperative recognition is crucial for optimizing patient management.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fonc.2026.1746336","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T08:07:47Z","timestamp":1774858067000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Case Report: Pelvic splenosis confused with malignancy\u2014a reminder for differential diagnosis"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Bo","family":"Cheng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiwen","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meiqi","family":"Fu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peicong","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiayi","family":"Feng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fei","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.79141","article-title":"From a suspicious liver mass to splenosis: a case report","volume":"17","author":"Marrana","year":"2025","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.21037\/jtd.2016.04.54","article-title":"Pitfalls in oncology: a unique case of thoracic splenosis mimicking Malignancy in a patient with resected breast cancer","volume":"8","author":"Gelsomino","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Thorac Dis"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7150\/ijms.3983","article-title":"Abdominal multiple splenosis mimicking liver and colon tumors: a case report and review of the literature","volume":"9","author":"Liu","year":"2012","journal-title":"Int J Med Sci"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2214\/ajr.11.7896","article-title":"CT of splenosis: patterns and pitfalls","volume":"199","author":"Lake","year":"2012","journal-title":"AJR Am J Roentgenol"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/smj.0b013e318038d1f8","article-title":"Splenosis: a review","volume":"100","author":"Fremont","year":"2007","journal-title":"South Med J"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00261-021-03402-3","article-title":"Abdominal and pelvic splenosis: atypical findings, pitfalls, and mimics","volume":"47","author":"Smoot","year":"2022","journal-title":"Abdom Radiol"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics9030111","article-title":"A multinodular mass of abdominal splenosis: case report of uncommon images of a rare disease","volume":"9","author":"Matsubayashi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Diagnostics (Basel)"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1259\/bjrcr.20160026","article-title":"Pelvic splenosis\u2014a very unusual location","volume":"3","author":"Lameiras","year":"2017","journal-title":"BJR Case Rep"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4254\/wjh.v11.i12.773","article-title":"Intrahepatic and intra-abdominal splenosis: a case report and review of literature","volume":"11","author":"Ananthan","year":"2019","journal-title":"WJH"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1378\/chest.120.6.2097","article-title":"Intrathoracic splenosis: superiority of technetium Tc 99m heat-damaged RBC imaging","volume":"120","author":"Hagman","year":"2001","journal-title":"CHEST J"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11604-009-0350-3","article-title":"Intrathoracic splenosis: evaluation by superparamagnetic iron oxide-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and radionuclide scintigraphy","volume":"27","author":"Ishibashi","year":"2009","journal-title":"Jpn J Radiol"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1055\/a-0866-8930","article-title":"Gastric fundal splenosis presenting as a stromal tumor and diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided SharkCore biopsy","volume":"51","author":"Barbuscio","year":"2019","journal-title":"Endoscopy"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rmcr.2017.09.006","article-title":"Thoracic splenosis: history is the key","volume":"22","author":"Ferrer Marrero","year":"2017","journal-title":"Respir Med Case Rep"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1055\/a-2193-2292","article-title":"Diagnostic approach to splenic lesions","volume":"196","author":"Kr\u00e4hling","year":"2023","journal-title":"Rofo"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2478\/raon-2014-0040","article-title":"Hepatic splenosis mimicking liver metastases in a patient with history of childhood immature teratoma","volume":"50","author":"Jereb","year":"2016","journal-title":"Radiol Oncol"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Oncology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fonc.2026.1746336\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T08:08:08Z","timestamp":1774858088000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fonc.2026.1746336\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]]},"references-count":15,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fonc.2026.1746336"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fonc.2026.1746336","relation":{},"ISSN":["2234-943X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2234-943X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]]},"article-number":"1746336"}}