Presentation
Jaundice, fatigue, and intermittent abdominal pain
Patient Data
Abdominal supine exam demonstrates mild hepatomegaly, mild-to-moderate splenomegaly, and a gallstone with a dense rim.
Abdominal supine exam demonstrates mild hepatomegaly (blue arrows), mild-to-moderate splenomegaly (white arrows), and a gallstone with a dense rim (red arrow).
The right lobe of the liver measures approximately 15 cm in the maximum length, and is mildly enlarged.
Case Discussion
Our 13 year-old patient was diagnosed with hereditary spherocytosis (HS) at 11 years of age and found to have hepatosplenomegaly and cholelithiasis. He presented with diffuse intermittent abdominal pain, which may be attributed to biliary sludge and gallstones.
The average age of diagnosis of HS is approximately 7 years old. However, HS can present at any age and with any severity, ranging from hydrops fetalis in utero to presenting for the first time in the ninth decade of life.
The most common findings in paediatric patients (ages 0-18 years) with HS include: pallor (100%), splenomegaly (96%), hepatomegaly (73%), icterus (67%), undocumented fever (28%), and cholelithiasis (pigment stones as seen in all haemolytic diseases) (26%).
This case was submitted with supervision and input from:
Soni C Chawla, M.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Radiological Sciences
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Olive View - UCLA Medical Centre