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Not every mass in the spleen is a true neoplasm - sometimes you have
hematomas on the spleen, sometimes you have localized areas of
extremedullary hematopoesis (also the most common cause of splenic
enlargement.)
 
However, if there is a marble-sized tumor on the spleen, I generally
recommend taking the spleen out during the surgery.  Taking a biopsy of
the spleen, a relatively spongy tissue full of blood, often can be more
problem than it's worth, as they tend to seep blood from the biopsy site.
Best to have the whole thing out at once - ferrets don't really ever miss
their spleens.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3898]