Splenomegaly: investigation, diagnosis and management

Anna L Pozo, Edmund M Godfrey, Kristian M Bowles

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

133 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Splenomegaly is a feature of a broad range of diseases, and presents to clinicians in many fields. This review examines the aetiology of splenomegaly in the developed world, and describes a logical approach to the patient with splenomegaly. In some patients, extensive radiological and laboratory investigations will fail to yield a diagnosis: these cases of "isolated" splenomegaly are not uncommon and can be particularly challenging to manage. The risks of serious underlying disease must be balanced against the risks of invasive investigations such as splenic biopsy and diagnostic splenectomy. We discuss the options in isolated splenomegaly and their evidence base, and incorporate them into a management strategy to aid the clinician in cases of diagnostic difficulty.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)105-11
Number of pages7
JournalBlood Reviews
Volume23
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2009

Keywords

  • Biopsy, Fine-Needle
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Splenectomy
  • Splenomegaly
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

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