SPLENOMEGALY

Course overview

SPLENOMEGALY IS DEFINED AS ENLARGEMENT OF THE SPLEEN MEASURED BY SIZE OR WEIGHT. THE SPLEEN PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN HEMATOPOIESIS AND IMMUNOSURVEILLANCE. THE MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF THE SPLEEN INCLUDE CLEARANCE OF ABNORMAL ERYTHROCYTES, REMOVAL OF MICROORGANISMS AND ANTIGENS AS WELL AS THE SYNTHESIS OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN G (IGG). THE SPLEEN ALSO SYNTHESIZES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM PEPTIDES PROPERDIN AND TUFTSIN. APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF CIRCULATING PLATELETS ARE STORED IN THE SPLEEN. THE NORMAL WEIGHT OF THE ADULT SPLEEN IS 70 G TO 200 G, SPLEEN WEIGHT OF 400 G TO 500 G INDICATES SPLENOMEGALY SPLEEN WEIGHT GREATER THAN 1000 G IS DEFINITIVE OF MASSIVE SPLENOMEGALY. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CAUSES, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF SPLENOMEGALY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.