CT SCAN BASED EVALUATION OF SPLENIC INDEX IN PATIENTS FROM LUCKNOW AND ADJOINING AREAS

Introduction: The Indian subcontinent is an endemic zone for diseases like malaria and filaria which alter the size of spleen to a variable extent. In order to identify and examine the spleen accurately, the modes of investigation that are at our disposal are Ultrasonography, Computerised Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Radionuclide Scan. Linear dimensions are of limited use as a guide to normal splenic size on CT because the spleen is irregular in shape and is obliquely oriented within the left upper quadrant. A more accurate approach to the assessment of splenic size is the splenic index. Sufficient and reliable data for its normal values are lacking. The objective of the present study was to generate normative data of splenic index which could be used as a research and clinical tool. Material & Methods: It was an open randomized study carried out on 80 adults between 20 to 70 years of age. Spleen was identified in each transverse, coronal and sagittal section image of helical CT scan. Results: The average splenic index, calculated as a product of the three measured linear dimensions of spleen i.e. length, breadth and thickness, in males was 369.89 cm³ and in females 298.61 cm³. The mean splenic index was calculated as 342.62 cm³. Conclusion: The results can be used for evaluating patients with suspected splenomegaly, in certain clinical situations where objective measurement of splenic dimensions and comparison with normal values is required, and in drafting of government policies and programs related to malaria and filaria control where these normal values of splenic index help by identifying populations more susceptible to such infections.