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142<br />

ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND<br />

A<br />

B<br />

C<br />

D<br />

Figure 6.3 Lymphoma: (A) Small, focal lesion in a normal-sized spleen. (B) Enlarged, hyperechoic spleen with a<br />

hypoechoic focal lesion (arrow). (C) Enlarged, coarse-textured spleen containing multiple tiny lymphomatous lesions.<br />

(D) Extensive lymphadenopathy in the epigastric region.<br />

these are microscopic and not amenable to radiological<br />

imaging.<br />

The most commonly found splenic metastases<br />

on ultrasound are from lymphoma, but may occur<br />

with any primary cancer. Intrasplenic deposits are<br />

more likely in later-stage disease and favour<br />

melanoma, pulmonary, ovarian or breast primaries.<br />

As with liver metastases, the ultrasound appearances<br />

vary enormously, ranging from hypo- to<br />

hyperechogenic or of mixed pattern (Fig. 6.4).<br />

They may be solitary, multiple or diffusely infiltrative,<br />

giving a coarse echo-pattern. 8<br />

Leukaemia<br />

Leukaemia (literally meaning ‘white blood’, from<br />

the Greek) is characterized by an increased number<br />

of malignant white blood cells. Unlike lymphoma,<br />

which affects the lymphatic system, leukaemia<br />

affects the circulation.<br />

There are two main types, myeloid and lymphoid,<br />

both of which can be either acute or chronic.<br />

The bone marrow becomes infiltrated with<br />

malignant cells which cause the blood to have<br />

increasing levels of immature blood cells.

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