Large chronic splenic infarction resembling splenic tumor in a patient with rheumatic heart disease: a case study

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Giant chronic splenic infarction is rare and can mimic splenic neoplasm, leading to frequent misdiagnosis.
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A 73-year-old female with rheumatic heart disease presented with recurrent epigastric pain and a large splenic mass.
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Contrast-enhanced CT revealed a mass with heterogeneous enhancement and calcification, suggestive of a splenic neoplasm.
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Pathological examination post-splenectomy confirmed extensive splenic infarction with focal fibrosis and calcification.
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The patient's history of rheumatic heart disease may have contributed to splenic infarction as a potential cardioembolic source.

Frontiers In Cardiovascular Medicine

by Wei Tian, Xu Deng, Chunyuan Yang, Jianxing Tian, Zonglong Zhu, Rui Huang, Wei Pan
July 21, 2026

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