How does spleen size vary with age and gender. What are the normal dimensions of a healthy spleen. How is spleen size measured using ultrasound. When should you be concerned about spleen enlargement. What conditions can cause splenomegaly.

Understanding the Function and Anatomy of the Spleen

The spleen is a vital organ located in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen, tucked behind the stomach and beneath the diaphragm. Its primary functions include filtering blood, removing old or damaged red blood cells, and supporting the immune system by producing lymphocytes and storing platelets.

Despite its importance, the spleen’s size can vary significantly among individuals and throughout one’s lifetime. Understanding what constitutes a normal spleen size is crucial for healthcare professionals to accurately diagnose and treat various conditions.

Key Functions of the Spleen

• Blood filtration
• Removal of old or abnormal red blood cells
• Production of lymphocytes
• Storage of platelets
• Support of the immune system

Normal Spleen Dimensions: What’s Considered Average?

The size of a normal, healthy spleen can vary considerably from person to person. Several factors influence spleen dimensions, including age, gender, height, and overall body size. On average, an adult spleen measures approximately 5 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 1.5 inches thick, weighing about 6 ounces.

Are there significant differences in spleen size between men and women? Generally, women tend to have smaller spleens compared to men. This difference is partially attributed to men typically being taller and having a greater red cell mass than women.

Factors Influencing Spleen Size

• Age
• Gender
• Height
• Body mass
• Overall health status

Age-Related Changes in Spleen Dimensions

The spleen undergoes size changes throughout an individual’s lifetime. During childhood and adolescence, the spleen grows in proportion to the body. Once adulthood is reached, the spleen tends to shrink slightly with each passing decade.

How does spleen size vary in children and adolescents? According to a study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology, there is relatively little difference in spleen size between boys and girls up to the age of 15. The upper limit of normal spleen length by age is as follows:

1. Newborns: Up to 6.0 cm
2. 3 months: Up to 7.5 cm
3. 6 months: Up to 8.0 cm
4. 12 months: Up to 8.5 cm
5. 2-4 years: Up to 9.0 cm
6. 5-7 years: Up to 9.5 cm
7. 8-10 years: Up to 10.5 cm
8. 11-15 years: Up to 11.5 cm

Diagnostic Methods for Assessing Spleen Size

Healthcare professionals employ various techniques to evaluate spleen size and detect potential abnormalities. These methods range from physical examinations to advanced imaging technologies.

Physical Examination

During a routine physical examination, a doctor can often determine if the spleen is enlarged through palpation of the abdomen. However, this method may not be as accurate for detecting slight changes in spleen size or for assessing the organ in individuals with a higher body mass index.

Blood Tests

While blood tests cannot directly measure spleen size, they can provide valuable information about potential underlying conditions that may cause spleen enlargement. A complete blood count (CBC) can reveal changes in red blood cell, white blood cell, and platelet levels, which may indicate spleen-related issues.

Imaging Techniques

Imaging studies offer the most accurate and reliable method for assessing spleen size. The most commonly used techniques include:

• Ultrasound
• Computed Tomography (CT)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Ultrasonography: The Preferred Method for Spleen Measurement

Abdominal ultrasound is often the preferred method for evaluating spleen size due to its accessibility, safety, and absence of radiation exposure. This non-invasive technique uses high-frequency sound waves to create real-time images of the internal organs.

How is spleen size measured using ultrasound? During an ultrasound examination, the technician or radiologist measures the length of the spleen along its central axis. They may also assess the width and thickness of the organ to determine if it falls within the normal range or if there are signs of enlargement.

Advantages of Ultrasound for Spleen Assessment

• Non-invasive and painless
• No radiation exposure
• Real-time imaging
• Cost-effective
• Widely available

Ultrasound Technique for Spleen Measurement

The process of measuring the spleen via ultrasound typically involves the following steps:

1. The patient lies on their right side to expose the left upper quadrant of the abdomen.
2. A gel is applied to the skin to improve sound wave transmission.
3. The ultrasound transducer is placed on the abdomen and moved to visualize the spleen.
4. The longest dimension of the spleen is measured from the most superomedial to the most inferolateral point.
5. Additional measurements of width and thickness may be taken to calculate spleen volume.

Interpreting Spleen Measurements: Normal vs. Abnormal

Understanding what constitutes a normal spleen size is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. While slight variations in spleen dimensions are common and not necessarily cause for concern, significant deviations from the norm may indicate underlying health issues.

Normal Spleen Size Guidelines

Based on ultrasound measurements, the following guidelines are generally used to assess spleen size:

• Normal: Maximum length less than 11 cm
• Moderate splenomegaly: Length between 11-20 cm
• Severe splenomegaly: Length greater than 20 cm

It’s important to note that these guidelines may vary slightly depending on the individual’s age, gender, and body size. Healthcare professionals consider these factors when interpreting spleen measurements.

Conditions Associated with Spleen Enlargement

Splenomegaly, or an enlarged spleen, can be a sign of various underlying health conditions. Identifying the cause of spleen enlargement is crucial for appropriate treatment and management.

What are some common causes of splenomegaly? Some conditions that may lead to an enlarged spleen include:

• Infections (e.g., mononucleosis, malaria, HIV)
• Blood disorders (e.g., leukemia, lymphoma)
• Liver diseases (e.g., cirrhosis, portal hypertension)
• Autoimmune disorders (e.g., lupus, rheumatoid arthritis)
• Metabolic disorders (e.g., Gaucher’s disease)
• Certain cancers

Signs and Symptoms of Splenomegaly

An enlarged spleen may not always cause noticeable symptoms, especially in mild cases. However, as the spleen grows larger, individuals may experience:

• Pain or discomfort in the upper left abdomen
• Feeling of fullness, even after small meals
• Fatigue
• Anemia
• Increased susceptibility to infections
• Easy bruising or bleeding

When to Seek Medical Attention for Spleen-Related Concerns

While slight variations in spleen size are common and often harmless, certain situations warrant medical attention. It’s essential to be aware of potential signs and symptoms that may indicate a problem with your spleen.

When should you consult a healthcare professional about your spleen? Consider seeking medical advice if you experience:

• Persistent pain or tenderness in the upper left abdomen
• Unexplained fatigue or weakness
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Recurrent infections
• Unexplained weight loss
• Night sweats

If you have a history of conditions that may affect the spleen, such as certain blood disorders or liver diseases, it’s important to follow up regularly with your healthcare provider for monitoring and assessment.

Diagnostic Approach for Suspected Spleen Issues

When evaluating potential spleen-related concerns, healthcare professionals typically follow a comprehensive diagnostic approach, which may include:

1. Thorough medical history and physical examination
2. Blood tests to assess cell counts and check for infections or other abnormalities
3. Imaging studies, such as ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI
4. In some cases, a biopsy may be necessary to rule out certain conditions

Treatment Options for Spleen Enlargement

The treatment for an enlarged spleen depends on the underlying cause. In many cases, addressing the primary condition will result in the spleen returning to its normal size.

What are the common approaches to treating splenomegaly? Treatment options may include:

• Antibiotics for bacterial infections
• Antiviral medications for viral infections
• Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for certain cancers
• Medications to manage autoimmune disorders
• Watchful waiting and monitoring for mild cases
• In severe cases or when complications arise, surgical removal of the spleen (splenectomy) may be necessary

Living Without a Spleen

In cases where splenectomy is required, individuals can live without a spleen. However, they may be at increased risk for certain infections. To mitigate this risk, healthcare providers typically recommend:

• Vaccinations against pneumococcal, meningococcal, and Haemophilus influenzae type b infections
• Annual flu shots
• Prophylactic antibiotics in some cases
• Prompt medical attention for any signs of infection

Understanding the normal dimensions of the spleen and the factors that influence its size is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment of spleen-related conditions. While variations in spleen size are common, significant enlargement can be a sign of underlying health issues. Regular check-ups and awareness of potential symptoms can help ensure early detection and appropriate management of spleen-related concerns.

Normal Spleen Size Depends on Weight and Gender

Overview

Your spleen is a small but hard-working organ hidden behind your stomach and under your diaphragm. It acts as a filter for your blood. Old, damaged, or abnormal red blood cells are caught in a maze of narrow tunnels within the spleen. Healthy red blood cells easily pass through the spleen and continue to circulate in your bloodstream.

The spleen can also filter out certain bacteria or viruses from your blood in support of the body’s immune system. When a disease-causing microorganism enters the bloodstream, your spleen and lymph nodes produce lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell capable of making antibodies to fight infections.

Unlike most other organs in your body, your spleen changes in size throughout your life — usually in response to illness or injury. A viral infection, such as mononucleosis, or a bacterial infection, such as syphilis, are among the conditions that can lead to an enlarged spleen.

The size of a normal, healthy spleen can vary considerably from person to person. Your sex and height can also affect its size. In general, an adult spleen is about 5 inches long, 3 inches wide, 1.5 inches thick, and weighs about 6 ounces.

Women tend to have smaller spleens than men, and taller people tend to have larger spleens than shorter people. In a study in the journal Radiology, researchers suggested that aside from men generally being taller than women, men also typically have greater red cell mass than women.

Your spleen, like the rest of your body, grows with age. Once you reach adulthood, however, your spleen tends to shrink slightly with each passing decade. The following is a list of the upper limit of normal spleen length by age up to 15 years. For boys and girls, there is relatively little difference in size, according to a study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology. The average spleen length by age was up to:

During a physical examination, your doctor can usually tell if your spleen is enlarged. A blood test to check your levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets may also be ordered to help diagnose the cause of a spleen enlargement.

Imaging tests, including ultrasound, help measure the size of your spleen and whether it’s crowding your other organs.

An abdominal ultrasound is often preferred for evaluating the spleen because it’s easy to do and doesn’t require any radiation. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of inside the body on a computer screen. An ultrasound “wand” is rubbed on the outside of the belly, which is coated with a special gel. This gel helps transmit the sound waves through the skin and to the parts inside the body.

Ultrasound can usually measure the length of the spleen along a center line (axis) accurately. It can also measure the width and thickness of the spleen, which can typically tell the doctor whether the organ is abnormally large or small. In most cases, however, the concern is about an enlarged spleen.

An abdominal ultrasound can help detect other conditions, too. Some of them include:

• abnormal liver function
• kidney stones
• gallstones
• enlargement of other organs, such as the liver or gallbladder
• abdominal aortic aneurysm (bulge in the main artery that supplies blood to most of the body)
• tumors or other suspicious growths anywhere in the abdominal area

Slight variances in spleen size are common and not a cause for concern. However, if you suspect your spleen is enlarged or you’re having any organ-related problems, see a doctor soon. If an infection is causing this temporary enlargement of the spleen, the sooner you get it diagnosed and treated, the better.

Treating the underlying cause of your spleen growth will usually cause it to return to a normal, healthy size. In very serious cases of spleen dysfunction, the organ can be removed. You will be at greater risk for infections, but that will only mean it’s even more important to keep up to date with vaccinations and other preventive steps, such as washing your hands thoroughly and regularly or avoiding people who may have a contagious infection.

Ultrasonography of the spleen – radlines.org

Author:
Mikael Häggström ^{[notes 1]}

Contents

• 1 Planning
  • 1.1 Indication
• 2 Evaluation
  • 2.1 Size
  • 2.2 Focal changes
• 3 Report
• 4 Notes
• 5 References

Planning

Indication

Ultrasonography of the spleen is included as a general screening of the upper abdomen, or when specifically requested in the referral.

Evaluation

Size

Maximum length of spleen on abdominal ultrasonography.

A measurement of spleen size is a standard procedure as part of a liver exam, since splenomegaly is a sign of portal hypertension.

Suggested cutoffs are:^[1][2]

• Normal (not splenomegaly): the maximum length is less than 11 cm
• Moderate splenomegaly: the maximum length is between 11–20 cm
• Severe splenomegaly: the maximum length is greater than 20 cm

90% confidence intervals of maximum lengths in the normal population have lower limits between 6. 4 cm (in short women) and 10.2 cm (in tall men), and upper limits between 12.0 and 14.4 cm (respectively):^[3]

Age	Cutoff[4]
3 months	6. 0 cm
6 months	6.5 cm
12 months	7.0 cm
2 years	8.0 cm
4 years	9.0
6 years	9.5 cm
8 years	10.0 cm
10 years	11.0 cm
12 years	11.5 cm
15 years	12.0 cm for girls 13.0 cm for boys

For children, the cutoffs for splenomegaly are given in this table, when measuring the greatest length of the spleen between its dome and its tip, in the coronal plane through its hilum while breathing quietly.^[4]

Focal changes

If the referral mentions the spleen, it is generally appropriate to scan the volume of it for any focal changes, mainly cysts or tumors.

Report

• Even absence of enlargement. If enlarged, state both grade (such as moderate) and maximum length in a number
• If checked, even absence of focal changes.

See also: General notes on reporting

Notes

1. ↑ For a full list of contributors, see article history. Creators of images are attributed at the image description pages, seen by clicking on the images. See Radlines:Authorship for details.

References

1. ↑ Neetu Radhakrishnan. Splenomegaly. Medscape. Updated Apr. 2012 (referring the classification system to Poulin et al.
2. ↑ Page 1964 in: Florian Lang (2009). Encyclopedia of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease
   . Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9783540671367. 
3. ↑ Chow, Kai Uwe; Luxembourg, Beate; Seifried, Erhard; Bonig, Halvard (2016). “Spleen Size Is Significantly Influenced by Body Height and Sex: Establishment of Normal Values for Spleen Size at US with a Cohort of 1200 Healthy Individuals
   “. Radiology 279 (1): 306–313. doi:10.1148/radiol.2015150887. ISSN 0033-8419. 
4. ↑ ^{4. 04.1}Rosenberg, H K; Markowitz, R I; Kolberg, H; Park, C; Hubbard, A; Bellah, R D (1991). “Normal splenic size in infants and children: sonographic measurements
   “. American Journal of Roentgenology 157 (1): 119–121. doi:10.2214/ajr.157.1.2048509. ISSN 0361-803X. 

Why do we need a spleen and is it possible to live without it

Likbez

Health

June 18, 2021

This organ is important for protecting against infections.

What is the spleen and where is it located? It is adjacent to the left kidney, the flexure of the colon, the stomach, and the tail of the pancreas. The size of the spleen depends on the sex, age and height of a person and averages from 106 to 142 mm.

Why the spleen is needed

This organ performs many important tasks: In the fetus during fetal development, all blood cells are formed in the spleen. After birth, only lymphocytes are produced in the organ. But if a person has myeloid leukemia, a form of blood cancer, or the bone marrow is destroyed, then hematopoiesis can resume in the spleen.

Why the spleen can be removed

There can be several reasons for surgery:

• Some types of cancer. These may be Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, hairy cell leukemia, or metastases of any other tumor to the spleen.
• Diseases of the blood. These include thrombocytopenic purpura, where there are not enough platelets in the blood, and autoimmune hemolytic anemia, where there is increased breakdown of red blood cells. If medical treatment does not help, surgery is done.
• Hypersplenism. This is the name given to a condition in which the spleen destroys too many platelets or other blood cells.
• Splenomegaly. This is an enlargement of the spleen. Sometimes the organ becomes so large that it causes pain or pressure on the stomach, causing a person to quickly fill up. Therefore, the spleen is removed to eliminate the symptoms and determine the cause of their appearance.
• Serious injury. In some cases, the spleen is so damaged that severe and life-threatening bleeding occurs. If it cannot be stopped, the organ has to be removed.
• Infection. Very rarely, microorganisms penetrate the tissues, which lead to the appearance of an abscess – an abscess.

How to live without a spleen

Although this organ performs important functions, one can live without it. The bone marrow will provide storage for red blood cells.