Isolated Synchronous Multiple Splenic Metastases From Rectal Cancer: a Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background: Isolated splenic metastasis emanating from colorectal cancer is an extremely rare finding, which usually indicates widely disseminated and multiple metastatic cancer. There have only been 39 cases of isolated splenic metastasis reported in the English literature to date. Case presentation: We report a case of synchronous and isolated multiple splenic metastases derived from rectal cancer. An 84-year-old woman, who presented with and an increased serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, was diagnosed with rectal cancer with splenic metastases by abdomen computed tomography (CT). The patient underwent a radical resection of rectal cancer and splenectomy, and the postoperative histopathology confirmed that the splenic lesions were derived from the adenocarcinoma of the rectum. After surgery, the patient recovered well and was recommended for further chemotherapy. Conclusion: Our findings enrich the database of this rare clinical entity and provide experience in the management of splenic metastasis. In addition to revealing a rare case, we also performed a literature review, including a brief discussion about the atypical isolated splenic metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC).