Intrahepatic splenic tissue without medical history of splenic injury or splenectomy

Only a few cases of intrahepatic splenic tissue have so far been reported in the English literature. Those cases were developed after splenic injury or a splenectomy. We report here a case of intrahepatic splenic tissue which has two distinctive features compared to previous literature. A 59-year-old female who previously had no medical history of splenic injury or splenectomy underwent hepatic resection for intrahepatic tumor mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma. However, pathologic examination revealed it as intrahepatic splenic tissue directly abutted to the normal liver tissue without a capsule. Lacking an invasive diagnostic modality, the diagnosis of intrahepatic splenic tissue without an accompanying medical history is very difficult.