CT of polysplenia syndrome

Objective: To analyze the imaging findings of polysplenia syndrome on thoracic and abdominal CT. Methods: CT of 11 patients with polysplenia syndrome was reviewed to correlate the visceral and cardiac anomalies. Results: In 4 patients without cardiac abnormality, the liver was symmetrically positioned in the midline with midline gallbladder (2), short pancreas (3), midgut malrotation (2) and symmetrical left lung (1) on CT. Of the remaining 7 patients with simple (3) and complex (4) cardiac anomaly, CT showed abdominal visceral anomaly in 6 including symmetrical midline liver (4) or left upper abdominal liver (2), gallbladder aplasia(1), midline(3) or left-sided(2) gallbladder, short pancreas(6), midgut malrotation(2), and symmetrical left lung (4). Multiple spleens and absent hepatic inferior vena cava with azygos or hemiazygos continuation were found in all 11 patients. The spleens were located in the left (5) or right (6) upper abdomen with the stomachs on the same sides as the spleens in all 11 cases. Conclusion: Contrast enhanced thoraco-abdominal CT is useful for evaluating cardiac and abdominal visceral anomalies in polysplenia syndrome. (authors)