Differential Diagnosis of Cystic Lesions of the Spleen: A Review of Clinical, Imaging and Pathological Findings

Cystic lesions of the spleen are being noticed with increased frequency as “incidentalomas” during imaging work-up for unrelated causes. As a group, these lesions encompass pure cystic and mixed cystic and solid, benign and malignant processes that in general require a tissue sample for definitive diagnosis. In this review, we will describe the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the spleen, highlighting key imaging, clinical and pathologic findings.