Enlarged spleen – splenomegaly
Pathology and causes
On physical examination of adults, the spleen should not be palpable. If it can be palpated, this indicates an increase of ≥1.5 times. The degree of enlargement of the spleen is determined by the distance from its defined edge to the left costal arch in centimeters.
Causes:
infections - bacterial (tuberculosis, typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever, brucellosis, infective endocarditis), viral (infectious mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus, viral hepatitis), protozoan (malaria, toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis);
myeloproliferative neoplasms - primary myelofibrosis, chronic myeloid leukemia;
lymphoproliferative neoplasms - hairy cell leukemia, splenic lymphoma of the marginal zone,