Just like other organs, the spleen can become diseased or injured. If you feel pain under the left costal arch, swelling of the spleen caused by a bacterial or viral infection may be the cause. If the pain radiates to the left shoulder or the left side of the neck, it is possible that a rupture of the spleen is behind the discomfort. Such an injury can be caused by an accident, for example. Learn more about typical diseases and injuries of the spleen here.
What diseases can affect the spleen?
Possible diseases of the spleen include:
- Spleen swelling
- Splenic rupture
- Spleen congestion
- OPSI syndrome
- Autoimmune diseases
- Malformations of the red blood cells
- Tumors
In the following, we introduce the diseases of the spleen in more detail.
Spleen swelling
If the spleen swells severely, it is called splenomegaly. The spleen can be palpated under the left costal arch when it is swollen to twice its normal weight – this swelling of the spleen can be quite painful. Usually, swelling of the spleen is a sign of an infection caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites, such as glandular fever, tuberculosis or malaria. The increased activity of the immune system, which after all wants to fight off the invaders, leads to the enlargement of the spleen. Spleen swelling is common, it can also be caused by congestion (see below). In addition, leukemia, a malignant change in the white blood cells, can also cause splenomegaly. In Gaucher’s disease, a fat storage disease, fatty substances are not broken down due to a defective enzyme, but are instead deposited in the organs, for example also in the spleen. The spleen can swell up to 20 times its normal size as a result.
Ruptured spleen
The application of great force, for example in an accident, or a broken rib can cause a tear in the spleen. Because the spleen is very well supplied with blood, an injury quickly leads to high blood loss. In many cases, surgical hemostasis is then the only possible therapy, and sometimes the spleen must even be removed completely (splenectomy) to stop the blood loss. What is feared is the so-called two-stage splenic rupture, in which the inside of the spleen ruptures first and the heavy bleeding then causes the spleen, which is filled with blood, to burst its capsule at some point.
Splenic rupture
Diseases of the liver, for example cirrhosis of the liver, or right heart failure change the blood circulation between the intestine and the liver, a so-called portal hypertension can develop. Since the spleen is also involved in this system, blood can back up into the spleen – which produces an enlargement of the spleen. This, in turn, results in an increased breakdown of red blood cells.
OPSI syndrome (overwhelming postsplenectomy infection).
In people with impaired splenic function or no spleen, hypersensitivity to certain bacterial pathogens such as pneumococcus (the causative agent of pneumonia and meningitis) may occur. In rare cases, an infection with these bacteria then leads to a particularly serious course of the disease with sepsis (blood poisoning) and a high mortality rate. Timely vaccination can protect against this.
Autoimmune Diseases
When our organism attacks its own body components, an autoimmune disease develops. The defense substances, known as autoantibodies, trigger chronic inflammation there. In collagenoses such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the connective tissue is the target of the attack, including that of the spleen. In rheumatoid arthritis, the autoantibodies primarily destroy cartilage and bone structures. However, the body’s faulty strong immune response also attacks and damages internal organs such as the spleen.
Malformations of the red blood cells
Sickle cell anemia is an inherited malformation of the red blood pigment in which the hemoglobin takes on a sickle-like shape. In the particularly severe form (homozygous), only sickle cell hemoglobin is formed; in the somewhat milder form (heterozygous), some of the hemoglobin also has the normal shape. Sickle cell hemoglobin clogs small blood vessels and is more easily trapped in the connective tissue network of the spleen, where it is broken down. Thalassemia is also an inherited disease in which the production of hemoglobin is disturbed.The red blood pigment binds oxygen less well, so the organs are poorly supplied with oxygen. Here, too, the deformed erythrocytes get stuck more easily in the network of the spleen and are increasingly broken down there. In both diseases, the spleen is surgically removed in some cases to prevent the increased breakdown of red blood cells.
Tumors
Rather rarely, both benign and malignant tumors form on the spleen. Metastases of malignant tumors also sometimes settle in the spleen.
How can I protect and support my spleen?
Since the spleen is part of the immune system, it can be indirectly supported with a balanced diet and any behavioral rules that support the immune system – however, there is no specific recommendation regarding diet or behavior. In the Middle Ages, sulfur vapors were recommended to cleanse the liver and spleen: Fortunately, this therapy is now no longer “up to date”. In traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen plays a major role in our well-being: It is the ruler of the body fluids. Bitter substances contained in endive or chicory, for example, strengthen the spleen. To strengthen our immune system, of which the spleen is a part, Chinese dietetics recommends garlic, onion and fennel, radish and radish. So you can do something extra for your health by eating a delicious meal.
