Diagnosis

An enlarged spleen often causes no symptoms and can therefore be a coincidental finding. A healthy spleen is not palpable. If there is a marked swelling of the spleen, it may be palpable under the left costal arch.

In some diseases, the spleen is enlarged to such an extent that it extends down to the pelvis. In addition to the physical examination, ultrasound examination of the abdomen is used. Here an enlarged spleen can be easily recognized and precisely measured.

With regard to the triggering cause, the medical history is decisive. The doctor may ask questions about stays abroad, contact with sick friends, other complaints and previous illnesses.A blood test can also be performed. Here, for example, increased inflammation values can be detected in the course of an infection. There are also markers that indicate cardiac insufficiency, which can sometimes lead to a swelling of the spleen. Cancer such as leukemia can also be detected in the blood.

How do I recognize a swollen spleen in myself?

An enlarged spleen alone often causes no symptoms and is not an independent disease but a symptom of various diseases. If flu-like symptoms, fever or fatigue occur, these can in some cases be accompanied by an enlargement of the spleen. However, simple colds or flu are usually not accompanied by an enlargement of the spleen.

Spleen enlargement is also of only moderate importance for the time being, as no significant new facts have emerged. Spleen swelling can only be detected by palpation without medical aids. The spleen swelling can already be palpated in a physical examination of the abdomen under the left costal arch.

Among other things, it can be determined whether the spleen capsule is taut and whether the surface of the spleen appears smooth or knotted. Usually, the spleen swelling does not initially cause any symptoms, but only later can it lead to unpleasant pulling pain under the left costal arch. The swelling can also affect other abdominal organs and cause pain.

This can cause liver pain or stomach ache. In addition, a displacing spleen can obstruct the diaphragm and lead to shortness of breath and breathing problems. Further symptoms often develop only in the long term as a result of the functional limitations of the spleen, as well as through the progression of the underlying disease.