Nonsurgical (spontaneous) spleno-renal shunt presenting as an abdominal mass: case report and review of the literature.

A case of an unusually large nonsurgical (spontaneous) spleno-renal shunt presenting as an abdominal mass is described. The diagnosis was first suggested by the finding of a lobulated, serpiginous, contrast-enhancing mass in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen by body CT scanning, and then confirmed by selective abdominal angiography. This represents the first report of the use of body CT scanning with contrast enhancement in the diagnosis of nonsurgical (spontaneous) spleno-renal shunts.