[Pedicle torsion of the accessory spleen within the scope of the "polysplenia-asplenia complex" as a rare differential diagnosis of acute abdomen].

A 25 year old female patient with a painful palpable tumour in the right flank was admitted to our hospital presenting signs and symptoms of an acute abdomen. During explorative laparotomy unexpected haemorrhagic infarction of a splenula caused by a volvulus of the vascular pedicle was found. In spite of the documentation of multiple positional abnormalities of visceral organs preoperative diagnostic imaging techniques were unable to point to the diagnosis because of an uncommon rightsideness of the polysplenism. In the case of an indefinite rightsided abdominal mass defects of embryonic morphogenesis should be always taken into consideration.