MR imaging findings of a patient with isolated intrahepatic splenosis mistaken for hepatocellular carcinoma

Splenosis refers to the autotransplantation of splenic tissue throughout different anatomic compartments secondary to trauma or splenic surgery. The liver is an uncommon location for splenic implants and imaging findings are often described as non-specific. We report MRI findings of a patient with a large liver mass that was first diagnosed as a malignant tumour but histopathology revealed that it was actually intrahepatic splenosis. The signal characteristics of this mass were low intensity on T(1) and high intensity on T(2) weighted images; arterial enhancement, which became more homogeneous in the later phases; and a relative hypointensity on the delayed phase images. Because a high level of awareness is necessary for making a correct diagnosis of this condition, one should consider the possibility of intrahepatic splenosis in a patient with a history of abdominal trauma or splenic surgery.