Splenomegaly (patient information)

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Splenomegaly
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Diagnosis
When to seek urgent medical care?
Where to find medical care for Splenomegaly?
Possible complications
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Directions to Hospitals Treating Splenomegaly
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aditya Govindavarjhulla, M.B.B.S. [2]

Overview

Splenomegaly is a larger-than-normal spleen. The spleen is an organ that is a part of the lymph system. It filters the blood and maintains healthy red and white blood cells and platelets. Many health conditions can affect the spleen. This includes diseases of the blood or lymph system, infections, cancer, or liver disease.

What are the symptoms of Splenomegaly?

Symptoms of splenomegaly include:

• Hiccups
• Inability to eat a large meal
• Pain on the upper left side of the abdomen

What causes Splenomegaly?

• Infections
  • Bacterial infections
  • Cat scratch disease
  • Infectious mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr virus or cytomegalovirus)
  • Other viral infections
  • Parasitic infections

• Diseases involving the liver
  • Biliary atresia
  • Cirrhosis (alcoholic cirrhosis)
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Portal hypertension
  • Portal vein obstruction
  • Sclerosing cholangitis

• Blood diseases
  • Hemoglobinopathies
  • Hemolytic anemia due to G6PD deficiency
  • Idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia
  • Immune hemolytic anemia
  • Myelodysplastic syndrome
  • Polycythemia vera
  • Thalassemia

• Cancer
  • Hodgkin's disease
  • Leukemia
  • Lymphoma

• Other causes
  • Felty syndrome
  • Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus)
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Sickle cell splenic crisis

Diagnosis

A physical exam will be done. This will include feeling your abdomen (belly area). The health care provider will tap (percuss) along the left upper part of your abdomen and feel (palpate) in that same area, especially just under the rib cage. Tests that may be done include:

• Abdominal x-ray, ultrasound, or CT scan
• Blood tests such as a CBC and tests of your liver function

When to seek urgent medical care?

There are usually no symptoms from an enlarged spleen. However, some people have pain in the left upper section of the belly area. You should seek medical help right away if it is severe or gets worse when you take a deep breath.

Where to find medical care for Splenomegaly?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Splenomegaly

Possible complications

It is important to prevent injury that might cause the spleen to rupture. You should avoid contact sports.

Your doctor or nurse will tell you what else you need to do to take care of yourself and any medical condition.

Sources

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003276.htm