Yao MT, Wang T, Luo H, Yao MY, Chen K, Zhu YQ. Splenic histiocytic sarcoma: Disease progression from the perspective of pathophysiology. World J Clin Cases 2025; 13(28): 109077 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i28.109077]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Tao Wang, MD, General Surgery Center, General Hospital of Western Theater Command, No. 270 Rongdu Road, Chengdu 610083, Sichuan Province, China. wangtao301020@sina.com
Research Domain of This Article
Surgery
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Splenic histiocytic sarcoma: Disease progression from the perspective of pathophysiology
Meng-Ting Yao, Tao Wang, Hao Luo, Meng-Yuan Yao, Kai Chen, Yong-Qiang Zhu
Meng-Ting Yao, Tao Wang, Hao Luo, Kai Chen, Yong-Qiang Zhu, General Surgery Center, General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu 610083, Sichuan Province, China
Meng-Yuan Yao, Department of Health Management, Emei Rehabilitation and Recovery Center, Leshan 614200, Sichuan Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Tao Wang and Hao Luo.
Author contributions: Yao MT wrote and revised the manuscript; Wang T and Luo H contributed to the conception, design, and revision of the manuscript; Yao MY, Chen K, Zhu YQ participated in the editing and revising of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript. Wang T and Luo H, as co-corresponding authors, played a crucial and indispensable role in organizing and analyzing the case data, as well as conceiving, preparing, and revising the manuscript. Wang T's project funding funded this research. Wang T played a crucial role in data analysis, chart creation, and manuscript preparation. He reviewed the relevant literature and emphasized that the progression of splenic histiocytic sarcoma can be divided into three distinct stages based on pathophysiology. Luo H conceptualized, designed, and supervised the entire project process. He played a crucial role in the collection, analysis, and processing of case data. He guided the revision of the article and highlighted the importance of early intervention and personalized treatment strategies for splenic histiocytic sarcoma through a review of relevant literature. This collaboration between Wang T and Luo H is crucial for the publication of this manuscript and other manuscripts still in preparation.
Supported by the Program of General Hospital of Western Theater, No. 2021-XZYG-C33.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Tao Wang, MD, General Surgery Center, General Hospital of Western Theater Command, No. 270 Rongdu Road, Chengdu 610083, Sichuan Province, China. wangtao301020@sina.com
Received: April 29, 2025 Revised: May 26, 2025 Accepted: July 22, 2025 Published online: October 6, 2025 Processing time: 100 Days and 19.1 Hours
Abstract
Splenic histiocytic sarcoma (SHS) is a rare, aggressive hematological malignancy with unclear progression and management. Our case illustrates the progression and pathophysiological processes of SHS and provides key data for the diagnosis, treatment and management of SHS. A 60-year-old female with incidentally detected splenic mass (6.0 cm × 5.7 cm) underwent splenectomy, confirmed as SHS in 2020. Post-op imatinib therapy was given. In 2022, hepatic metastases (2.4 cm × 2.9 cm) with pancytopenia led to supportive care. Lesions enlarged to 4.3 cm × 2.7 cm, leading to multi-organ failure and death at 33 months. The case was categorized into three distinct stages based on the pathophysiology of SHS: Early-stage splenic tumor growth, mid-stage liver metastasis with hematological abnormalities, and late-stage tumor infiltration leading to multiorgan failure. For SHS, this case highlights the pivotal role of early intervention and the value of personalized treatment strategies.
Core Tip: Splenic histiocytic sarcoma (SHS) is an exceedingly rare malignant tumor of the spleen. Owing to its low incidence rate and a relatively limited number of clinical cases, the medical community's comprehension of SHS remains in a phase of continuous exploration and refinement. Currently, the pathophysiological process of SHS has not been fully elucidated. A comprehensive clarification of the pathophysiological process of SHS and an in-depth understanding of its pathogenesis are fundamental for the development of effective treatment strategies.
