Splenomegaly (synonyms: Idiopathic splenomegaly; megalosplenia; splenic swelling; splenomegaly; splenomegaly; ICD-10 R16.1) refers to the abnormal enlargement of the spleen.
In many cases, there is concomitant enlargement of the liver; this is then referred to as hepatosplenomegaly.
The normal weight of a spleen in an adult is 100-350 g. An enlarged spleen is said to exist when the weight is > 350 g. The normal longitudinal diameter is up to 14 cm, the width of the spleen is up to 5 cm and the thickness of the spleen is 8 cm.
Splenomegaly is classified into:
- Mild/mild – weight of the spleen is less than 500 g.
- Common causes are inflammation, congestion in heart failure (cardiac insufficiency), infectious mononucleosis (glandular fever), febrile infections
- Moderate – weight of the spleen is between 500 and 800 g.
- Common causes are portal hypertension (high blood pressure), occlusion of the splenic vein, acute leukemia, tuberculosis, metastases, etc.
- Massive – weight of the spleen is more than 1,000 g.
- Common causes are chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoma, malaria, and others.
Splenomegaly does not represent a disease in its own right, but can occur as symptoms of many different diseases. Often, the underlying disease is not limited to the spleen, such as in diseases of the blood (leukemias).
Splenomegaly may be acute or chronic.
Splenomegaly can be a symptom of many diseases (see under “Differential diagnoses”).
Course and prognosis: An enlarged spleen can exert pressure on adjacent organs, causing pain. Depending on the cause, splenomegaly is often accompanied by fever. Course and prognosis depend on the success of therapy for the causative disease.
