Three-Phase Tc-99m Labeled RBC Scintigraphy of a Splenic Hemangioma

Abstract

A 46-year-old man presented with right upper quadrant pain with a clinical suspicion of cholelithiasis and was referred for an abdominal ultrasound (US). On US evaluation, the liver and gallbladder were normal. Incidentally noted a homogeneous, well demarcated, hyperechoic, 5-cm mass in the inferior portion of the spleen. A subsequent Tc-99m labeled RBC scan showed a 5-cm photopenic area in the inferior portion of the spleen on perfusion and early blood pool images. Subsequent filling in on delayed images with slightly increased uptake relative to surrounding splenic tissue was seen on the final images (85 min). Splenic hemangiomas are rare neoplasms, although they still represent the most common primary neoplasm of the spleen. The incidence of splenic hemangiomas ranges from 0.03-14% in autopsy studies.