Hemangioma of the spleen in a newborn infant. Postsplenectomy course and splenic autotransplantation

: A girl presenting with an enlargement of the spleen, thrombocytopenia and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia at birth was studied, and a splenic hemangioma was diagnosed. Total splenectomy was performed with autotransplantation of a segment of normal splenic tissue. The patient has been followed up to age 4 years. She has not presented infections and has permanently shown normal hematological values, with evidence of good function and growth of the auto implanted spleen tissue. This experience supports the usefulness of autotransplantation of the spleen in newborns and infants aged less than 5 years that must undergo splenectomy for non malignant splenic lesions.