Splenomegaly and other disorders of the spleen
The spleen is a predominantly lymphoid organ, normally about the size of a clenched fist located beneath the diaphragm in the left upper abdomen. It has a dual role as a filter for the circulation, and a primary lymphoid organ in its own right. About three-quarters of its volume is a matrix of capillaries and sinuses (the red pulp), through which blood is able to percolate slowly and come into contact with fixed macrophages, which are able to remove senescent or damaged red cells, or other particulate matter such as bacteria. The lymphoid tissue is organized into scattered follicles (the white pulp), which have a particularly important role in initiating primary humoral immune responses and antibody (IgM) synthesis. The spleen commonly enlarges when either its filtration function is increased—as in haemolysis—or it is stimulated by infection or inflammation. It may also be involved in myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative neoplasias. This chapter covers hypersplenism, splenectomy, hyposplenism, overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI), and other infections in hyposplenic patients.