Wandering spleen is a rare diagnosis, especially in the pediatric population. We reviewed the English literature from 1900 through April 1991 for all cases of wandering spleen in patients from birth through age 10. There are 50 case reports prior to the one presented here. The goals of this article are to summarize the histories, findings, and treatment of the 51 patients, describe diagnostic and treatment modalities, and increase the clinician's suspicion for wandering spleen. This condition is probably underdiagnosed and potentially treatable by splenopexy if suspected and diagnosed early in the course of disease.
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