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Diseases of the spleen
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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Primary diseases of the spleen are extremely rare, and then mainly degenerative processes and cysts. But as a symptom, splenomegaly is quite common and is a manifestation of many diseases. Diagnosis of splenomegaly is currently not difficult: palpation + ultrasound, and its cause can sometimes be very difficult to identify. Initially, it is necessary to conduct a general blood test, blood biochemistry, serological tests.
According to Bowdler (1983), all diseases of the spleen that cause the development of splenomegaly are divided into several groups:
- acute and chronic infections (viral infections, sepsis, syphilis, tuberculosis);
- congestion in the portal vein system (mainly with portal blocks, pericarditis);
- inflammatory and granulomatous processes (serum sickness, berylliosis, etc.);
- hematological diseases (hemolytic anemia, etc.);
- tumors (leukemia, lymphosarcoma, cancer, melanoma, angiosarcoma);
- storage diseases (histiocytosis, Gaucher disease, etc.); others (lymphogranulomatosis, thyrotoxicosis, etc.).
In terms of frequency, splenomegaly is associated with hematological pathology in 80% of cases, with liver pathology in 16% of cases, and only 4% are due to other systemic and congenital diseases of the spleen.
Of the surgical conditions, spleen diseases can be mainly a consequence of hepatobiliary pathology and diseases accompanied by the development of solaritis and mesenteritis, intoxication syndrome. In the first case, spleen diseases, as a rule, are of a congestive nature and are a consequence of portal hypertension; in the second case, they are reactive. When a patient initially seeks help and identifies the causes of the disease, it is necessary to exclude the named pathology and refer the patient to a hematologist for subsequent examination.
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