[A rare cause of pleurisy from subdiaphragmatic origin: epidermoid cyst of the spleen]

Abstract

Subdiaphragmatic diseases are a classical but uncommon cause of pleural effusion. We report here the case of a woman admitted for a left pleural effusion which led to the discovery of a splenic tumour. Pathological examination of the splenectomy specimen showed that the tumour was an epidermoid cyst of the spleen. Cysts of the spleen are exceptionally revealed by pleurisy. Epidermoid cysts account for 10% of all non-parasitic splenic cysts. They remain silent for a long time and are usually disclosed by such complications as compression of surrounding organs, rupture or superinfection.