Spleen
Spleen diseases, diagnosis, prevention
Definition of the spleen
The spleen is a large lymphoid organ. It has an oval, slightly flat shape. The spleen is located in the left hypochondrium, behind the stomach. It is in close proximity to the pancreas, colon, left kidney and is slightly in contact with the diaphragm. The size of the spleen reaches 10-14 cm in length, 6-10 cm in width, and the thickness of the spleen is 3-4 cm.
The main part of this unique organ is represented by the so-called white and red pulp. The white pulp is a lymphoid tissue where lymphocytes originate, and the red one is filled mostly with erythrocytes. In addition to the hematopoietic function, which is important for the human body, the spleen is also engaged in the production of antibodies, and also determines unnecessary harmful microorganisms and other foreign elements in the blood stream.
Since a certain disintegration of blood cells is constantly observed in the human body, the main function of the spleen is the necessary restoration of the number of cellular elements of the blood.
The spleen, as well as the adjacent organ - the pancreas, is most active in the morning from about 9 to 11 o'clock. If symptoms such as weakness in the legs, constant daytime sleepiness, impaired appetite are observed, but, at the same time, the desire to taste sweets, memory impairment and general brain exhaustion - we can talk about the problems associated with these organs.
Spleen diseases
As a rule, primary diseases of the spleen rarely occur, much more often it is affected secondarily, and more often than it happens to other organs. Below are the main dysfunctional conditions of the spleen that can be diagnosed as a disease.
1) Congenital malformations. There are times when a person has no spleen since birth. There are also known cases when the size of the spleen does not fit into the usual framework, its shape and structure are non-standard. Sometimes additional spleens are determined, there may even be several. If the position of the spleen is poorly fixed due to weak abdominal muscles, it may move in the abdominal cavity; this phenomenon is called the wandering spleen in medicine, and it occurs more often in women than in men.
2) Splenic infarction is a phenomenon that occurs quite often, however, the area of infarction is usually very small. Leukemia and some other infections contribute to the onset of a heart attack.
3) The twisting of the spleen (or twisting of the leg) requires the obligatory intervention of the surgeon, since it leads to a serious violation of the blood circulation of this organ.
4) Abscesses. The causes of a spleen abscess can be different - it can be a spleen infarction or typhoid fever. As a rule, this process is painless, which in most cases ends with self-healing.
5) Cysts. Different types of cysts can be seen in the spleen, but epithelial cysts are extremely rare. But serous cysts are observed more often, but they usually occur, like ruptures, as a result of a person's injury.
6) Various degenerative irreversible processes. In old age, spleen atrophy often occurs.
7) Tumors. A typical tumor of the spleen is lymphosarcoma. Primary malignant tumors rarely affect the spleen, and metastases to the spleen are even less common.
8) Enlargement of the spleen (called splenomegaly). This may be due to various pathological conditions of the human body. With an increase in lymph nodes, with fever or jaundice, with an enlarged liver or severe anemia - in all these cases, splenomegaly can be detected. In the presence of certain cardiovascular diseases, in infectious diseases - it can be measles, meningitis, scarlet fever, malaria, etc., in blood diseases - leukemia or hemolytic jaundice, an enlargement of the spleen may also occur.
Since splenomegaly is only a reaction of the body to another disease, first of all, it is necessary to establish what caused this pathological state of the organ.
Diagnosis of spleen diseases
How to diagnose this or that spleen disease? There are several methods for this in medicine.
1) Method of questioning. When compiling the necessary anamnesis, it is imperative to pay attention to all chronic infections that the patient has had, and which could lead to an increase in the size of the spleen. Also, one cannot discount serious cardiovascular diseases, blood diseases, dangerous pathological conditions of the liver, etc. - if any have ever occurred in the patient's medical history.
2) Inspection method. This method is not very effective, since it allows you to diagnose an enlarged spleen only in the case of its significant change in size upwards. With such a pathology, the spleen protrudes from under the ribs and on the left raises half of the abdominal wall so much that any person can see it, even with the naked eye.
3) Palpation method. This is the main examination of the spleen that needs to be diagnosed. Palpation is best done with the patient lying on his right side or on his back; to relax the abdominal muscles, it is better to lie with tucked legs. With the help of the left hand, which must be placed in the region of the 7-10 left ribs, the sternum must be fixed in a fixed position. The right hand should lie flat on the stomach, at right angles to the ribs. In this case, with your fingers in a bent position, you need to slightly press on the abdominal cavity.
When the patient takes a deep breath, the spleen moves towards the palpating hand and is directly under the fingers, so that the lower edge of the organ can be clearly felt.
As a rule, if it is possible to feel the edge of the lymphoid organ with the fingers, it can be assumed that there is a pathological increase in size. Although in practice, in some cases, in people of an overly thin physique, especially in women, it is possible to determine the edge of a completely healthy spleen.
When carrying out the method of palpation, one should focus on what the available volumes of the spleen are, its consistency, mobility, what is the nature of the edge (serrated or even), how great is the sensitivity, etc.
4) The method of modern X-ray examination. In the presence of a large amount of gas in the large intestine and stomach, the spleen and its edges are much better visible. To this end, during an X-ray of the spleen, the stomach or large intestine is artificially inflated.
5) Method of puncture of the spleen. This method is used with a large increase in organ size. Before making a puncture to the patient, he must take a deep breath and hold his breath. If this important condition is not met, the spleen is displaced to the side, and damage to the capsule may occur and severe bleeding may begin.
Due to the similar insecurity of this diagnostic method, it is used only in cases of extreme necessity and with extreme caution. The puncture is performed with a very thin and sharp needle. As a result of the puncture, several small drops of blood are obtained. Blood smears taken from the spleen help determine the nature of the changes that have occurred in it.
6) The method of laboratory research and blood tests. With a fairly large increase in the size of the spleen, it is imperative and necessary to conduct a complete blood test.
Disease prevention
To prevent spleen disease, first of all, it is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle, not to start infectious diseases, to take the necessary measures to strengthen immunity - in general, to monitor the general condition of your body. Particular attention should be paid to protecting the abdomen and chest from various injuries and injuries. The spleen is most severely injured when it is severely bruised, hit in a fight, or in a serious traffic accident.
It is also necessary to periodically take blood tests and check the state of its indicators, it is also advisable not to forget about the correctness of your diet. Do not exhaust yourself with diets that lead to anemia and general exhaustion of the body. You should limit yourself to drinking alcohol, especially not too high quality.
If problems with the spleen have already arisen, you should increase the volume of the following products in your diet: walnuts, beef liver, sea and river fish, beets and carrots, lingonberries, rowan berry decoction.
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".
