Splenic Metastases

Splenic metastases were found in 312 cases (7.1 per cent) in a uniformly examined post mortem series where it was possible to compare the frequency of metastases in different organs. This frequency is comparable to, and in many cases higher than, the frequency of metastases in other organs with a corresponding risk of being the site of blood‐borne metastases. The investigation does not suggest that the spleen has a greater antiblastic effect than other organs. The metastases were divided into ten different types depending on their localization in the spleen and whether they were diagnosed macroscopically or microscopically or both. Apart from type IV which probably consisted of continuous retrograde growth in trabecular lymph vessels and which cannot be regarded as true remote metastasis, the pattern of metastases suggests that splenic metastases are the result of hae‐matogenous spread.