Splenomegaly

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Splenomegaly

Enlarged spleen

Overview

Treatment

Splenomegaly

Definition:

Splenomegaly is an enlargement of the spleen beyond its normal size.

Alternative Names:

Spleen enlargement; Enlarged spleen

Considerations:

The spleen is an organ involved in the production and maintenance of red blood cells, the production of certain circulating white blood cells, and is a part of the lymph system and the immune system.

Because of its wide variety of functions, the spleen may be affected by many conditions involving the blood or lymph system, and by infection, malignancies, liver disease, and parasites.

Common Causes:

Infections
- Infectious mononucleosis (EBV or CMV)
- Other viral infections
- Parasitic infections
- Cat scratch disease
- Bacterial infections
Diseases involving the liver
- Cirrhosis (portal vein obstruction, portal hypertension)
- Sclerosing cholangitis
- Wilson's disease
- Biliary atresia
- Cystic fibrosis
Hemolytic anemias
- Thalassemia
- Hemoglobinopathies
- Hemolytic anemia due to G6PD deficiency
- Idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Immune hemolytic anemia
Cancer
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Hodgkin's disease
Other causes
- Sarcoidosis
- Sickle cell splenic crisis
- Banti's syndrome
- Felty syndrome

Review Date: 6/20/2004
Reviewed By: Jacqueline A. Hart, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Boston, Ma.

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